Natural history of corneal topography after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the natural history of corneal topography after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).


METHODS
A prospective, single center clinical study.


METHODS
A total of 40 eyes of 34 patients with myopia were studied.


METHODS
Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy and computer-assisted videokeratography were performed.


METHODS
Preoperative, 1 week, and 1, 2, and 3 months postoperative topography patterns were compared and changes assessed by averaging defined sectors of the ablation zone in individual maps to produce composite "average" topography maps.


RESULTS
Corneal topography was generally not homogeneous at 1 week after PRK. By 3 months, there had been considerable smoothing of corneal contour. A general "central island" effect early in the postoperative period flattened over time. When right and left eyes were evaluated independently, a tendency toward a keyhole-semicircular pattern was seen on average; the maximum flattening was nasal and the least flattening was inferotemporal for both right and left eyes.


CONCLUSIONS
A tendency, on average, toward central island and keyhole-semicircular patterns is seen early in the postoperative course after PRK. Central islands tend to evolve into the keyhole-semicircular pattern, and the corneal topography in general after PRK tends to smooth considerably with time.
Abbas
U L
UL
Department of Ophthalmology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103, USA.
Hersh
P S
PS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014945:Wound Healing