Keratoconus: A discussion of physical/chemical properties and clinical diagnosis modalities. A review

• Main Authors: Ahmed S.M., Al-Sharify N.T., Nser H.Y., Al-Sharify Z.T., Ghaeb N.H., See O.H., Weng L.Y.
• Other Authors: 57696704100
• Format: Conference Paper
• Published: American Institute of Physics Inc. 2024
• Subjects: Biomedical Engineering; Cornea; COVID 19; eye; Keratoconus; physical models; vision
• Institution: Universiti Tenaga Nasional

The anterior densely innervated corneal tissue determines more than 50% of the optical power reflection. The Cornea's structure is composed of six layers, from the epithelium to the endothelium, and a deficiency in one of these layers produces various illnesses that result in alterations in the tissue's physical and chemical characteristics. One of the mane problems happened to eye cornea is found during Keratoconus (KC), where the Cornea shape changes from normal aspherical to the cone-like protrusion of the central Cornea. This affected tissue suffers from decreased vision due to myopia, irregular astigmatism, and corneal scarring. A comprehensive review was done to investigate the Physical, chemical Properties and Clinical Diagnosis Modalities in the current work for patients with Keratoconu. Physically, where the Cornea is irregular in shape, incoming light rays cannot be focused on a single point, causing the wavefront's typical spherical shape to change. In addition, the chemical structure of basal epithelial cells influences their shape and arrangement. At the same time, a break in Bowman's layer, which is common in keratoconus, may be responsible for the conical shape of the eye. Various technologies such as keratometry, Slit lamp, Ultrasound Pachymetry, and corneal topography/tomography have been used for diagnosing KC corneas. Each of them provides essential parameters and indicates the Cornea's state. Nowadays, corneal topography techniques allow for identifying the major morphological features of diseased tissue. Furthermore, early detection of KC is critical for avoiding ocular refractive surgery, but there are no standardized screening criteria for early diagnosis. � 2023 Author(s).