The lids influence on corneal shape.
BACKGROUND
The lids are in contact to the corneal surface in normal viewing. Refractive surgery, however, is performed with a speculum in place and thus the lids are not in contact with the cornea.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate central corneal shape with and without the lids touching the corneal surface.


METHODS
The technique consists of exporting the point cloud of the topography scanner into computer software that recreates the corneal surface. The technique of surface modeling was used to form central corneal elevation height difference maps of four normal eyes with and without lid contact to the corneal surface.


RESULTS
Surface modeling demonstrated the trend that the lids influence the corneal shape.


CONCLUSIONS
The lids distort corneal shape.
Lieberman
D M
DM
Department of Surgery, The New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, USA. sphenatome@yahoo.com
Grierson
J W
JW
D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005143:Eyelids / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy