Purpose: To assess topographic findings, anterior segment parameters and high-order aberrations (HOAs) by using corneal tomography in children with 2 diopters (dp) or more astigmatism.
Methods: Children with 2 dp or more astigmatism (study group) and children with astigmatism less than 1 dp (control group) were recruited. Corneal astigmatism, mean, steep, flat keratometry (K) findings, anterior and posterior K results and anterior segment parameters including anterior chamber depth, kappa distance, horizontal corneal diameter, mean, central, middle, peripheral corneal thicknesses (CT), white-to-white (WTW) distance and pupil diameter were measured by Galilei G4 Dual Scheimpflug corneal tomography. HOAs were also assessed and compared between groups.
Results: Fifty-eight eyes of 37 children in the study group and 37 eyes of 37 children in the control group were enrolled. The mean ages of groups were 9.7 ± 2.4 years and 9.3 ± 1.6 years in study and control groups, respectively. The mean astigmatism was 3.3 ± 1.1 dp and 0.5 ± 0.3 dp in study and control groups, respectively (p < 0.05). Total corneal astigmatism was 3.3 ± 0.84 dp and 1.14 ± 0.47 dp in study and control groups, respectively (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference between groups in terms of posterior steep K and posterior astigmatism values. Among anterior segment parameters, mean CT and WTW values were statistically different between groups. HOAs were found to be statistically different between groups.
Conclusion: Higher posterior corneal astigmatism, thinner mean CT and lower WTW distance were found in children with 2 dp or more astigmatism. Besides, HOAs were much more in these astigmatic children.
Keywords: Astigmatism; Corneal tomography; Dual Scheimpflug technology; Pediatric age-group.