Evaluation of corneal and lens clarity in unilateral pseudoexfoliation syndrome: a densitometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although ageing is the main reason for cataract progression, pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES) represents an independent additional hazard for the development of nuclear sclerosis and cataract progression. PES can also affect corneal properties. From this perspective, this study aimed to perform a comparison of the corneal and lens densitometry measurements in eyes with PES and age-matched healthy eyes.

METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included 31 patients with unilateral PES and 40 control participants. The Pentacam HR imaging system was used to evaluate corneal densitometry (12 mm corneal diameter) and lens densitometry measurements of eyes with PES (Group 1), clinically unaffected fellow eyes (Group 2) and healthy eyes (Group 3).

RESULTS: Eyes in Group 1 and Group 2 had statistically significantly higher corneal densitometry values for all concentric zones and layers compared with eyes in Group 3 (p < 0.05 for all). However, the results were similar when Group 1 and Group 2 were compared (p > 0.05 for all). The lens densitometry values of zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3, as well as the average lens densitometry measurements, were statistically significantly higher in Groups 1 and 2, compared with Group 3 (p < 0.05 for all). On the other hand, these parameters were similar between Groups 1 and 2 (p > 0.05 for all). Additionally, there was no significant difference between the study and control groups with regard to the maximum lens densitometry measurements (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: This study revealed that corneal and lens densitometry values of affected and fellow eyes of cases with clinically unilateral PES are significantly higher than those of healthy subjects.