Posterior and total corneal astigmatism measured with optical coherence tomography-based biometer and dual Scheimpflug analyzer.

PURPOSE: To compare corneal astigmatism obtained from an optical coherence tomography-based biometer (OCT) and dual Scheimpflug analyzer (DSA).

SETTING

Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

Consecutive cases with both OCT and DSA measurements were reviewed. Three parameters were analyzed with OCT and DSA: (1) standard keratometric astigmatism (K vs simulated keratometry [SimK]), (2) posterior corneal astigmatism, and (3) total corneal astigmatism (total keratometry [TK] vs total corneal power [TCP]). The magnitudes of corneal astigmatism obtained from the 2 devices were compared. Vector analysis was used to assess differences in corneal astigmatism between devices.

RESULTS

In this study 530 corneas in 530 patients were measured. Compared with the DSA, the OCT produced a lower mean magnitude of posterior corneal astigmatism (-0.19 vs -0.29 diopter [D]) and a higher percentage of eyes with magnitude ≤0.25 D (75.5% vs 41.9%) (P < .05). Comparing TK and TCP, (1) TK was greater in magnitudes (1.03 vs 0.98 D); (2) 84.3% of eyes had differences in magnitude of ≤0.50 D; (3) in eyes with TK astigmatism ≥0.5 D, 34.5% and 60.1% of eyes had differences in steep meridian of ≤5 degrees and ≤10 degrees, respectively, and (4) 59.2% of eyes had vector differences of ≤0.50 D. In with-the-rule and against-the-rule eyes, respectively, the vector differences between TK and TCP were 0.16 D @ 83 degrees and 0.17 D @ 12 degrees, and in posterior corneal astigmatism, 0.06 D @ 173 degrees; and 0.15 D @ 175 degrees.

CONCLUSIONS

There were clinically significant differences in total corneal astigmatism obtained from OCT and DSA devices. Compared with DSA, OCT produced lower values for posterior corneal astigmatism.