KERATOCONUS, CORNEAL CHANGES AND ALLERGY - REVIEW OF 3 GROUPS OF PATIENTS

Purpose To study the relation between keratoconus and atopy based on a llergic prick rests, and the association of infraclinical keratoconus with atopy compared to ''normal eyes''. Simultaniously corneal topogra phic modifications have been researched to patients presenting an ocul ar atopy versus normal patients.Material and method A videokeratoscope has been used for the selection of 22 keratoconic patients, 17 infrac linical keratoconic subjects and 22 patients with no ocular abnormalit y. Incidence of allergic phenomenon was assessed with two tests (Prick test, lacrymal total IgE dose). The videokeratoscopy was also perform ed in the research of corneal modifications in a group of 45 patients with an ocular atopy. Results The results of allergologic tests (posit ives Prick tests) showed a statistical significant difference between the keratoconus group (63.6%) and respectively the infraclinical kerat oconus group (23.5%) and the normal eyes group (22.7%). No videotopogr aphic picture of keratoconus and infraclinical keratoconus has been no ted in patients with ocular atopy. Conclusion Keratoconus is related t o allergy. In this study, no association of allergy with infraclinical keratoconus was found. Further more, Mo videotopographic changes was observed in ocular allergic cases.