Research progress on epidemiology,pathogenesis and treatment of keratoco-nus
10.13389/j.cnki.rao.2025.0099
- VernacularTitle:圆锥角膜的流行病学、发病机制及治疗研究进展
- Author:
Zihao LIU
1
;
Yang LÜ
Author Information
1. 730000 甘肃省兰州市,甘肃中医药大学第一临床医学院
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
keratoconus;
corneal dilation;
corneal biomechanics;
epidemiology
- From:
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology
2025;45(7):571-577
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease that primarily affects individuals in adolescence and early adult-hood.Dilating changes in the cornea cause it to thin and become steeper,resulting in irregular astigmatism and decreased vision.Keratoconus has multiple etiologies and pathogenic factors,including genetic,environmental,biomechanical and cellular factors.Environmental factors encompass eye rubbing,UV exposure,and wearing contact lenses.At the cellular level,the interaction of complex factors such as hormonal changes,extracellular enzyme activity,and changes in biochemi-cal and biomechanical signaling pathways disrupts collagen crosslinking within the stroma,leading to the loss and distortion of the integrity of normal corneal anatomical structures.Detection of keratoconus in its early stages remains a challenge,and corneal topographic maps are the primary diagnostic tool for keratoconus.However,in early cases,the use of a single parameter to diagnose keratoconus is not sufficient.In addition to corneal topographic maps,corneal thickness measure-ments and high-order aberration data are now commonly used detection methods.Clinically,keratoconus is diagnosed by clinical examination and corneal imaging.Advanced imaging platforms can improve the detection rate of keratoconus,facil-itating early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression.Treatment strategies for keratoconus are tailored to the severi-ty and progression of the disease.In the early stages,glasses or soft contact lenses for vision correction are sufficient.As the disease progresses,rigid breathable contact lenses or scleral contact lenses may be needed.Corneal crosslinking has emerged as a key treatment aimed at stopping the progression of corneal dilation.The epidemiology,pathogenesis and treatment of keratoconus will be comprehensively reviewed in this paper.
