Alterations in biomechanical properties of the cornea among patients with polycystic kidney disease.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the corneal biomechanical features in polycystic kidney disease (PKD) patients and compare them with the healthy individuals.

METHODS: Totally 81 patients with a mean age of 48.46 ± 14.51 years and 60 control cases with a mean age of 44.68 ± 12.69 years were included in the study. All of the subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, including visual acuity testing, biomicroscopic anterior and posterior segment examinations. Corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg) and corneal-compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc) were evaluated with the ocular response analyzer, and the central corneal thickness was evaluated with Sirius® corneal topography.

RESULTS: PKD patients had significantly increased CH values, without any alterations in IOP or CCT values, compared with the control cases (p:0.001). Among PKD patients, 23 were having liver cysts accompanying renal cysts. There was not any statistically significant difference between PKD patients with or without liver cysts regarding biomechanical properties of the cornea. However, both patient groups had statistically significantly increased CH values compared with the control cases.

CONCLUSION: Patients with PKD present with higher CH values than age-matched controls. Larger studies are warranted to elucidate the alterations in corneal biomechanical properties and their clinical relevance in PKD patients.