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Purpose: Wavefront data are expressed in micrometers and referenced to the pupil plane, but current methods to map wavefront error lack standardization. Many use normalized or floating scales that may confuse the user by generating ambiguous, noisy, or varying information. An absolute scale that combines consistent clinical information with statistical relevance is needed for wavefront error mapping. The color contours should correspond better to current corneal topography standards to improve clinical interpretation., Design: Retrospective analysis of wavefront error data., Participants: Historic ophthalmic medical records., Methods: Topographic modeling system topographical examinations of 120 corneas across 12 categories were used. Corneal wavefront error data in micrometers from each topography map were extracted at 8 Zernike polynomial orders and for 3 pupil diameters expressed in millimeters (3, 5, and 7 mm). Both total aberrations (orders 2 through 8) and higher-order aberrations (orders 3 through 8) were expressed in the form of frequency histograms to determine the working range of the scale across all categories. The standard deviation of the mean error of normal corneas determined the map contour resolution. Map colors were based on corneal topography color standards and on the ability to distinguish adjacent color contours through contrast., Main Outcome Measures: Higher-order and total wavefront error contour maps for different corneal conditions., Results: An absolute color scale was produced that encompassed a range of +/-6.5 microm and a contour interval of 0.5 microm. All aberrations in the categorical database were plotted with no loss of clinical information necessary for classification. In the few instances where mapped information was beyond the range of the scale, the type and severity of aberration remained legible., Conclusions: When wavefront data are expressed in micrometers, this absolute scale facilitates the determination of the severity of aberrations present compared with a floating scale, particularly for distinguishing normal from abnormal levels of wavefront error. The new color palette makes it easier to identify disorders. The corneal mapping method can be extended to mapping whole eye wavefront errors. When refraction data are expressed in diopters, the previously published corneal topography scale is suggested.

Purpose: To evaluate the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) corneal topography scale (ANSI Z-80.23-1999) and to develop a Universal Standard Scale (USS) based on scientific principles and clinical usefulness., Design: Retrospective data analysis and computer modeling of frequency of corneal power distributions., Methods: Four variations of corneal topography color scales were constructed using the ANSI standard description. The scales used 21 contour intervals with step sizes of 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 diopters (D). In example 1, hue was varied, whereas saturation and brightness were held constant. In example 2, hue was varied systematically, whereas luminance was varied to compensate for spectral sensitivity. In example 3, hue was varied, whereas luminance was adjusted to improve color contrast at the center of the scale. In example 4, the palette was generated by varying the red, green, and blue color intensity levels. In the USS, colors were defined by hue, brightness, and saturation, and appearance was optimized by using contrast. The contour interval was determined from the standard deviation of keratometry for 27 normal corneas. The scale range was based on corneal powers found in 388 topography maps of 12 different corneal conditions., Results: ANSI-derived maps were difficult to interpret because of poor color contrast and the inability to associate contours with specific colors in the scale. The 0.5 D interval slightly improved the appearance of some patterns but reduced the useful clinical range of the scale. ANSI colors did not match the user's expectations; abnormal patterns appeared in shades of green, which is associated with normality. The standard deviation of keratometry readings for the normal population was 1.59 D. Hence, the contour interval for the USS was set to 1.5 D. More than 99.9% of the corneal powers in 388 clinical maps were within the range of 30 to 67.5 D, which was chosen as the range for the USS., Conclusions: The ANSI scale for corneal topography is a series of scales that lead to clinical misinterpretations. The alternative USS would provide uniform presentation, unambiguous interpretation, and greater ease of comparison among maps produced by different topographers.

There is now a wide range of devices available for corneal topographic analysis. Although most devices use the Placido disk approach, fluorescein profilometry, laser holography and scanning slit technology have also been employed. The colour-coded topographical maps have been designed for ease of clinical interpretation. The application of this technology to further our understanding of the effects of contact lens wear and various forms of refractive surgery is demonstrated. Current developments include the merging of corneal topographic analysis and ocular wavefront sensing technology to create the capability of etching sophisticated corneal shapes in the course of refractive surgery so as to provide optimal aberration control.

Objective: To compare laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in the correction of myopia from -2.00 to -5.50 diopters., Design: Prospective, randomized, paired clinical trial., Participants: Fifty-two eyes of 26 myopic patients were enrolled in the study., Intervention: Each patient received PRK on one eye (PRK eye) and LASIK on the other (LASIK eye); the procedure assigned to each eye, and the sequence of surgeries for each patient was randomized., Main Outcome Measures: Slit-lamp microscopy, manifest refraction, uncorrected and spectacle-corrected visual acuity, and videokeratography were done before operation, and 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after operation. Patient satisfaction and preference were assessed by a subjective questionnaire., Results: All LASIK eyes had fast, painless recovery. At 1 year, 24 patients (92.3%) were examined, the mean spherical equivalent refraction was -0.08 +/- 0.38 diopter in the PRK eyes and -0.14 +/- 0.31 diopter in the LASIK eyes, and the uncorrected visual acuity was 20/20 or better in 15 PRK eyes (62.5%) and 19 LASIK eyes (79.2%); no eye lost 2 or more Snellen lines of spectacle-corrected visual acuity. Both procedures were stable throughout the first year. One PRK eye developed dense subepithelial corneal haze. The strongest correlate to spectacle-corrected visual acuity after the two procedures was the coefficient of variation of corneal power over the pupil. Nineteen patients (79.2%) preferred the LASIK procedure because of the fast, painless recovery., Conclusions: In the current study, PRK and LASIK were found to be similarly effective, predictable, stable, and reasonably safe for the correction of myopia between -2.00 and -5.50 diopters. Laser in situ keratomileusis has the advantage of fast, painless recovery. Patients prefer LASIK.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the incidence of unilaterality in a population of patients with clinical keratoconus and to compare quantitative descriptors of topography between affected corneas from patients with unilateral keratoconus and corneas of patients with bilateral disease., Design: Retrospective clinical study with new evaluation of some patients., Participants: One hundred sixty-four patients from the University of Texas South-western Medical Center and Wills Eye Hospital who were diagnosed to have moderate-to-advanced keratoconus on the basis of characteristic topographic patterns associated with corneal thinning., Intervention: Corneal topography was evaluated in both eyes of each patient., Main Outcome Measures: Quantitative descriptors of corneal topography were compared between 5 affected corneas of patients with unilateral keratoconus (combined cases from University of Texas Southwestern, LSU Eye Center, and Wills Eye Hospital) and 15 corneas of patients with moderate-to-advanced bilateral keratoconus (1 cornea from each patient). Indices selected for statistical analysis were the Keratoconus Predication Index (KPI), Surface Asymmetry Index (SAI), and Surface Regularity Index (SRI)., Results: Three (1.83%) of 164 patients with moderate-to-advanced keratoconus had no topographic evidence of keratoconus in the opposite eye. There were no statistically significant differences in KPI, SRI, or SAI values between the affected corneas of patients with unilateral and bilateral keratoconus. Over a period of 4 years of observation, signs of keratoconus in the previously normal eye developed in a patient with unilateral keratoconus., Conclusions: The authors found no differences in the quantitative descriptors of corneal topography between corneas with keratoconus from unilateral and bilateral cases. The authors' results suggest that the incidence of "unilateral" keratoconus is very low. Patients initially diagnosed with unilateral keratoconus, if observed for a sufficient period, commonly had signs of keratoconus develop in the opposite eye. The possibility that all cases of unilateral keratoconus may eventually become bilateral cannot be excluded. Therefore, refractive surgical procedures should not be performed on apparently normal corneas when keratoconus is detected in the opposite eye.

Purpose: The purpose of this prospective study is to evaluate the corneal topography of patients who sought an opinion regarding refractive surgery for the correction of myopia., Methods: Both eyes of 53 patients were evaluated with a topographic modeling system. Forty-two patients wore contact lenses (84 eyes: 36 rigid contact lenses and 48 soft contact lenses). Ten patients (20 eyes) wore glasses alone and one patient (2 eyes) wore neither glasses nor contact lenses for correction of myopia., Results: Thirty-five (33%) of 106 eyes were found to have abnormal corneal topography. Of the 42 patients (84 eyes) who wore contact lenses, 32 eyes (38%) had irregular astigmatism, loss of radial symmetry, or absence of the normal progressive flattening from the center to the periphery of the cornea, consistent with contact lens-induced corneal warpage. Alterations were more frequent and severe in rigid contact lens wearers. Three patients (5.7%) received a diagnosis of definite keratoconus, a higher incidence than has been reported in the general population. Topographic abnormalities in most, if not all, of the eyes would not have been detected by visual inspection of the photokeratoscopic images alone., Conclusions: Appropriate preoperative detection and management of corneal topographic abnormalities are essential steps in every refractive surgical procedure. The overall efficacy and safety of procedures such as radial keratotomy and photorefractive keratectomy likely will be improved once the unpredictable variables of contact lens-induced warpage and occult ectatic disease are eliminated by topographic screening before surgery. Patients with keratoconus may be over-represented in the refractive surgery population due to self-selection.

Purpose: Modern videokeratoscopy is useful in assessing corneal shape. The purpose of this study is to compare color-coded topographic maps using standardized scales with 1.0- and 1.5-diopter (D) intervals. The authors assessed the use of the two scales for detecting clinically relevant features of corneal topography such as regular astigmatism, irregular astigmatism, early keratoconus, and contact lens-induced corneal warpage., Methods: A total of 50 normal corneas, 50 corneas with contact lenses, 50 that had keratoconus (25 early to moderate and 25 advanced), 50 that had penetrating keratoplasty, 20 that had extracapsular cataract surgery, 17 that had excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia, 10 that had radial keratotomy, 3 that had aphakic epikeratophakia, and 2 that had myopic epikeratophakia were analyzed with a corneal topographic analysis system. Color-coded maps with 1.0-D intervals (Maguire/Waring scale) and 1.5-D intervals (Klyce/Wilson scale) were compared., Results: There were no topographic characteristics that were not appreciated with either scale for corneas with dioptric powers that fell within their ranges. Conversely, for corneas that had powers outside the range of the 1.0-diopter scale, but within the range of the 1.5-diopter scale, the former produced a map in which the flattest or steepest areas were artifactually smoothed., Conclusions: This study suggests that the Klyce/Wilson scale (constant, 1.5-D intervals) provides the best combination of sensitivity for detection of clinically significant topographic features and the widest range of coverage of powers that are found on a variety of normal, pathologic, and surgically altered corneas. The adoption of the Klyce/Wilson scale by all manufacturers of corneal topographic instruments as a primary standard will facilitate communication and will make the interpretation of corneal topography easier for both the expert and the novice.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the corneal topography of visually normal asymptomatic eyes that wore rigid and soft contact lenses compared with visually normal eyes that had never worn contact lenses., Methods: Thirty-seven normal corneas and 74 corneas in asymptomatic eyes that wore rigid (12 polymethylmethacrylate and 23 gas-permeable) and soft (26 daily-wear and 13 extended-wear) contact lenses for refractive correction underwent slit-lamp examination, keratometry, computer-assisted topographic analysis, refraction, and rigid contact lens over-refraction., Results: Topographic abnormalities tended to be more common and more severe in corneas that wore rigid contact lenses, but significant changes were noted in some eyes that wore daily-wear or extended-wear soft contact lenses. A number of eyes in the rigid polymethylmethacrylate (9 of 12) and rigid gas-permeable (6 of 23) contact lens groups had a correlation between the most frequent resting position of the contact lens and the corneal topography, with relative flattening of the corneal contour beneath a decentered lens. A total of 10 eyes in the rigid contact lens groups had a 1-line decrease in best spectacle-corrected visual acuity attributable to contact lens-induced topographic abnormalities., Conclusions: Corneal topographic alterations are common in asymptomatic contact lens wearers and are frequently detectable only with computer-assisted topographic analysis. It is important that topographic abnormalities be excluded in contact lens wearing eyes before refractive surgical procedures.

Ten partially sighted and 19 normally sighted eyes underwent excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for the correction of myopia. Nine of the partially sighted and 17 of the normally sighted eyes had 12 months of follow-up. Epithelial healing was complete in all eyes by day 6. None of the eyes had recurrent erosions, infections, or other medical complications. An increase in corneal haze after surgery was followed by a slow trend toward clearing. Average uncorrected visual acuity in the 7 normally sighted eyes with attempted corrections of 5 diopters (D) or less was 20/40 from month 2 on; the eyes with greater than 5 D attempted corrections had an average of 20/80--at month 2, which declined to 20/200--by month 6. Best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was within +/- 1 Snellen line of preoperative values in 14 of the normally sighted eyes, improved 2 or more lines in 2 eyes, and worsened two or more lines in two eyes. Hard contact lens overcorrection restored all of the two-line loss in 1 eye and 1 line of the 3-line loss in the other. Refraction and keratometry indicated corneal flattening without induced astigmatism.

Computer-assisted analysis of corneal topography was performed in 17 normally sighted human eyes during the first year after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for myopia. Laser ablation of the central cornea produced an optical zone with a smooth power transition to the peripheral cornea. Decentration of the ablation was noted in some eyes (less than 0.5 mm in 3 eyes, 0.5 to 1.0 mm in 10 eyes, 1 to 1.5 mm in 3 eyes, and 2.1 mm in 1 eye), suggesting that careful alignment of the laser beam is critical. Improved methods to align the ablation within the center of the entrance pupil are needed. In 12 of 17 eyes, the topographic pattern appeared to stabilize between 3 and 7 months after PRK. In the remaining five eyes, central ablation power changed by more than 0.5 diopters (D) between the 6- and 12-month examinations. Regression was more common and more pronounced in eyes with intended corrections more than 5 D, whereas the majority of eyes with intended corrections of 5 D or less showed good correspondence between the final change in central ablation power and the attempted correction. Two eyes had a loss of at least two lines of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity that was attributable to irregular astigmatism, decentration of the ablation, and/or corneal opacification.

The authors compared postkeratoplasty astigmatism over a 4-month period after surgery in a randomized, prospective study of two groups of patients (total N = 18) who received two different suture techniques. The test group N = 8) had a single running suture with postoperative suture adjustment; on the basis of computer-assisted topographic analysis, the suture was tightened in the flatter meridian and loosened in the steeper meridian in the first month after surgery. The control group (N = 10) had a standard double running suture procedure with no postoperative adjustment; the single running 10-0 nylon suture was removed 3 months after surgery. Four months after penetrating keratoplasty, mean (+/- standard deviation) astigmatism in the test group was 1.7 +/- 0.7 diopters (D), and all patients had less than 2.6 D of astigmatism. In the control group, mean astigmatism was significantly higher (5.4 +/- 2.4 D; range, 0.7-9.0 D; P less than 0.01). The results suggest that postkeratoplasty astigmatism can be reduced with the single running suture technique accompanied by postoperative suture adjustment.

Twenty-one eyes of 12 patients with contact lens-induced corneal warpage were followed prospectively using computer-assisted topographic analysis. Sixteen eyes had worn rigid contact lenses (13 eyes, polymethylmethacrylate; three eyes, gas-permeable), and five eyes had worn soft contact lenses. Initial corneal topographic patterns were characterized by the presence of central irregular astigmatism, loss of radial symmetry, and frequent reversal of the normal topographic pattern of progressive flattening of corneal contour from the center to the periphery. A correlation was noted between the initial corneal topography and the resting position of the contact lens on the cornea for nine of the 16 eyes with rigid contact lenses. Initial topography for each of these corneas showed relative flattening of the corneal contour underlying the resting position of a decentered contact lens. Superior-riding lenses produced a topography that simulated early keratoconus. After cessation of contact lens wear, 16 of 21 eyes had a change in corneal shape to a topography that was consistent with a normal pattern. Five corneas stabilized with an abnormal topographic pattern. A much longer time without contact lenses than had been previously reported, up to 5 months, was required for a return of a stable corneal topography in eyes with contact lens-induced corneal warpage caused by rigid lenses.

Our computer-based corneal topography analysis system was used to study the keratoscope photographs (keratograms) from two patients with classic pellucid marginal degeneration and a third patient with no inferior corneal thinning, whose keratoscope mire pattern was suggestive of the condition. All three patients showed marked flattening of the central cornea along a vertical axis and marked steepening of the inferior corneal periphery, which also extended into mid-peripheral inferior oblique corneal meridians. The mid-peripheral cornea gradually decreased in power above the inferior oblique meridians.

Epikeratophakia is based on the principles of the Barraquer refractive procedures, with modifications that simplify the surgical technique and eliminate the use of the microkeratome by placing the donor corneal tissue lens on the anterior surface of the cornea. Procedures developed to permit freeze-drying the preshaped lens for storage enable these lenses to be obtained from a central source, freeing the surgeon from the complexities of the computer and the cryolathe. The correction of theoretically unlimited amounts of myopia is possible with these lenses. In 12 eyes that underwent the final epikeratophakia procedure, the average desired correction achieved was 98%.