Effects of Superficial Keratectomy in Peripheral Hypertrophic Subepithelial Corneal Opacification on Front and Back Corneal Astigmatism

• Published in: Current eye research Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 284 - 289
• Main Authors: Riedl, Jana C, Schuster, Alexander K, Musayeva, Aytan, Wasielica-Poslednik, Joanna, Marx-Gross, Susanne, Gericke, Adrian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2021
• Subjects: back corneal astigmatism; superficial keratectomy; front corneal astigmatism; Peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal opacification
• ISSN: 1460-2202
• DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2020.1798466

To evaluate changes of anterior and posterior corneal astigmatism after superficial keratectomy in peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal opacification (PHSCO). Patients with PHSCO, who had received superficial keratectomy with mitomycin C 0.02%, were included in this retrospective study. Scheimpflug imaging of the cornea (Pentacam®, Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and objective refraction were determined preoperatively and 3 months after superficial keratectomy. Fifteen eyes of 15 patients (age: 55 ± 16 years; range: 36-82 years) were included. The mean preoperative BCVA was logMAR 0.4 ± 0.2 and improved to logMAR 0.21 ± 0.3 ( < .01) postoperatively. The median preoperative astigmatism of the anterior corneal surface was 4.67 ± 2.4 D (range: 0.9-13.2 D) and decreased to 1.4 ± 0.4 D (range: 0.8-2.3 D) 3 months after surgery. The median astigmatism of the posterior corneal surface was 0.6 ± 0.5 D (range: 0.1-2.2 D) before surgery and decreased to 0.3 ± 0.2 D (range: 0-0.7 D) 3 months after surgery. Superficial keratectomy reduces anterior corneal astigmatism more than posterior corneal astigmatism in patients with PHSCO. Furthermore, a myopic shift and corneal steepening in the peripheral and mid-peripheral cornea was observed after removal of the subepithelial corneal opacification spots.