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Demographics of Patients Older Than 50 Years With Keratoconus

2009; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 35; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/icl.0b013e3181be5784

1542-233X

Elvin Yıldız, Guilherme F. Diehl, Elisabeth J. Cohen, K.M. Hammersmith, Peter R. Laibson, Christopher J. Rapuano,

Corneal Surgery and Treatments

This study was designed to determine the demographics of patients aged 50 years or more with a diagnosis of keratoconus, who were seen on the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital.A retrospective chart review of all patients with the diagnosis of keratoconus was undertaken to identify demographics characteristics between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005.A total of 697 patients were identified. Two hundred seventy-nine (40.0%) patients were age 50 years or more. The age ranged from 50 to 93 years (average 60.2 +/- 8.2 years). Keratoconus was diagnosed as a bilateral disease in 266 (95.3%) and as a unilateral disease in 13 patients (4.7%). In 186 patients (66.6% of the total), the average age at the time of diagnosis was 31.7 +/- 10.9 years (range from 13 to 70 years). Of the 279 patients, 167 had surgery (59.8%). In the group of 112 patients that did not have surgery, 25 (9.0%) were treated with glasses in both eyes, 85 (30.5%) with contact lenses in both eyes, and 2 (0.7%) with glasses in one eye and contact lenses in the other eye. The average time of follow-up was 13.6 +/- 10.5 years (range from 0.1 to 38.7 years).In a corneal referral practice, the number of patients older than 50 years with keratoconus is higher than previously reported in the literature. We believe that this is because our practice has a strong interest in both contact lenses and corneal surgery with the ability to follow up patients on a long-term basis.