title: [Prevalence and age-related changes of corneal astigmatism in patients before cataract surgery].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine the extent and the distribution of corneal astigmatism in patients awaiting cataract surgery in a mid-European tertiary clinic centre and hence to establish the demand for methods reducing corneal astigmatism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Keratometry measurements of cataract surgery candidates assigned to a university clinic between January 2013 and October 2014 were recorded and analysed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6900 eyes of 3450 patients with a mean age of 72.5 ± 12.2 were analyzed. The corneal astigmatism was more than 0.5 dioptres (D) in 5193 eyes (75.3 %), >1.0 D in 2641 eyes (38.3 %), >1.5 D in 1304 eyes (18.9 %), >2.0 D in 644 eyes (9.3 %), >2.5 D in 363 eyes (5.3 %), >3.0 D in 236 eyes (3.4 %) and >3.5 D in 149 eyes (2.2 %). With increasing age a shift from with-the-rule astigmatism towards against-the-rule astigmatism was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the patients admitted for routine cataract surgery at our clinic, 2641 eyes (38.3 %) had an astigmatism greater than 1.0 D. Our data could be helpful in establishing a protocol for using toric intraocular lenses and to determine the costs.
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Augenklinik, Medizinische Universität Graz, Graz, Österreich.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michelitsch
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Augenklinik, Medizinische Universität Graz, Graz, Österreich.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ardjomand
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Augenklinik, Medizinische Universität Graz, Graz, Österreich.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vidic
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Augenklinik, Medizinische Universität Graz, Graz, Österreich.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wedrich
authors.affiliation: Universitäts-Augenklinik, Medizinische Universität Graz, Graz, Österreich. steinwender.gernot@gmail.com.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinwender
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002386:Cataract / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057234:Preoperative Period; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Astigmatism correction; Cataract surgery; Corneal astigmatism; Keratometry; Toric IOL