Ethnicity Related to Keratoconus: A Study with Clinical Implications.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the clinical profile of keratoconus patients attending the contact lens clinic from January 2000 to May 2010. Design: Fifty-five clinical records (99 eyes) were reviewed. Materials and methods: Clinical records of keratoconus patients were reviewed. The data included demography, general and ocular health, keratometric readings (KR), best corrected visual acuity (BCVÃ) using Snellen chart and the type of contact lens prescribed. The severity of KC was classified according to the classification scale of Buxton. Results: Of those 55 patients, 34 (61.8%) were males and 21 (38.2%) were females with 61.8%, 36.4% and 1.8% being Malays, Indians and Chinese, respectively. Around 74% of them had normal general health, 20% had asthma, 3% had allergies with another 3% having tuberculosis. Slit lamp findings showed that 50% of patients had no signs of keratoconus, 9% had hyperemic conjunctiva and 2% had Vogt striae. Mean sphere power, astigmatism and KR was -2.33 ± 3.49DS, -3.61 ± 3.4IDC and 43.83 + 18.35D, respectively. In terms of severity, 12.6%, 52.6%, 28.4% and 6.3% of cases were mild, moderate, advanced and severe. Correlation analysis showed poor correlation between age versus refraction and mean KR. Insignificant difference (p > 0.05) was also found between gender for age, sphere and cylindrical power, mean KR and BCVÃ, using t-test. Conclusion: The clinical profile with regard to ethnicity showed that the majority of patients were Malays, followed by Indians and Chinese. Early detection is crucial to improve the quality of life of keratoconus patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]