title: Effect of vernal keratoconjunctivitis on vitreous depth in patients with keratoconus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the vitreous depth (VD) of keratoconic eyes in patients with or without vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty eyes of 80 consecutive keratoconus (KC) patients and 40 emmetropic control subjects were enrolled. KC patients were divided into two groups according to accompanying VKC (VKC-KC group and KC group). Mean outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent (SE), mean keratometry (Km), intraocular pressure (IOP), and axial length (AL) and its components. The eyes with the highest Km were selected for statistical analysis for each participant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 50, 30, and 40 patients in the VKC-KC group, KC group, and control group respectively. The KC group and VKC-KC group were similar in BCVA, SE, Km, CCT, ACD, LT, and IOP (p>0.05). The mean ACD was significantly lower in the control group when compared with the KC group and VKC-KC group. The mean AL and VD were significantly higher in VKC-KC group than those of KC group and the control group, whereas similar in KC and control groups (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the current study we showed that VKC-associated KC patients have significantly longer AL and VD when compared with KC patients without VKC. Posterior segment elongation in VKC-KC group may be associated with the type IV collagen destruction due to chronic longstanding inflammation in VKC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine , 21280, Diyarbakir , Turkey and.
authors.forename: Abdullah Kürşat
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Cingü
authors.forename: Savaş
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Yasin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Çınar
authors.forename: Muhammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Şahin
authors.forename: Fatih Mehmet
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Türkçü
authors.forename: Harun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murat
authors.forename: İhsan
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Çaça
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D001699:Biometry; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D019781:Corneal Topography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D042262:Retinoscopy; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Axial length; keratoconus; vernal keratoconjunctivitis; vitreous depth