title: Central and peripheral corneal thinning in keratoconus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent data regarding the mid-peripheral portion of the removed corneal button in transplant surgery indicate histopathologically that keratoconus was present also in the peripheral portion of the button. The intent of this study was therefore to investigate if peripheral changes could also be detected clinically by measuring the central and peripheral corneal thickness of KC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Corneal pachymetry was measured with the Visante optical coherence tomography and Orbscan II. Of 52 subjects, 26 were KC subjects and 26 were age- and sex-matched control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Corneal thickness, in KC patients, was significantly reduced in all areas compared with corneal thickness among controls with both the Visante optical coherence tomography and Orbscan II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study have provided clinical evidence that KC is a disease affecting a wider area of the cornea. Although the KC cornea shows the greatest change in thickness in the ectatic region, this attenuation declines toward the periphery. The presence of peripheral thinning indicated that KC may be a "pancorneal" pathology and not limited to the ectatic portion.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Optometry, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Rune L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Brautaset
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Norman E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Johanna H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tukler
authors.forename: Jan P G
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bergmanson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology*; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology