Vitreous cavity length in keratoconus: implications for keratoplasty

Purpose To compare axial length (AL) with vitreous cavity length (VCL) in patients with keratoconus and to ascertain whether graft size can be tailored to reduce myopic refractive error in patients with keratoconus undergoing penetrating keratoplasty (PK). Patients and methods The AL and VCL were measured prospectively in patients with keratoconus not undergoing PK (Group 1) and in normal phakic, emmetropic individuals (Group 2). A retrospective analysis of these measurements in patients with keratoconus who had undergone PK (Group 3) was also performed. The postoperative spherical equivalent (SE) was then correlated to size of donor buttons. Results Keratoconus patients tended to have a longer mean VCL than emmetropic normal individuals. The mean VCL of these patients (Group 1) was 16.49 mm +/- SD 1.13 compared to the mean VCL of 15.94 mm +/- SD 0.56 in normals (Group 2, P < 0.0001). Patients with keratoconus who had an undersized graft showed reduced myopic refractive error compared to those with same size or oversized grafts. Conclusion VCL measurement is more accurate than AL measurement in deciding upon graft-host size disparity for corneal graft in patients with keratoconus. In patients with increased VCL, undersizing the donor button helps in reducing postoperative myopia. We recommend VCL measurement as part of the routine workup in all keratoconus patients undergoing corneal transplants.