title: Keratoconus and mitral valve prolapse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of keratoconus in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Videokeratography was performed in 36 patients (72 eyes) with an echocardiographic diagnosis of MVP, and were compared with 25 controls. All participants underwent slit-lamp examination and completed a medical questionnaire about joint hypermobility, arthralgia, asthma, and allergic reactions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Keratoconus was found in eight eyes (11. 1%) (P =.056) of eight patients (22.2%) (P =.049) in the MVP group and in one eye (2%) of one patient (4%) in the control group. The keratoconus was unilateral and asymptomatic in all cases. Conjunctival papillae were statistical significant higher in the MVP group (P =.015). A statistically significant intergroup difference existed in the presence of an allergic reaction (P =.001), but not in arthralgia, hypermobility of joints, or asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A borderline important association of MVP with keratoconus and with allergy exists. Patients with mitral valve prolapse complaining of poor vision should be suspected of having keratoconus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Israel. lichterh@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lichter
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sagie
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muzmacher
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yassur
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weinberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000150:complications; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019781:Corneal Topography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000150:complications; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015995:Prevalence