Corneal enantiomorphism detected by Scheimpflug imaging in patients from a primary healthcare practice in Northern Poland.

PurposeMany studies have focused on the presence of corneal enantiomorphism in patients with keratoconus, and single reports have presented its occurrence among healthy individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of enantiomorphism in a Polish general practice population representing different age groups.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved patients registered with a general practitioner. Corneal measurements were conducted using a rotating Scheimpflug corneal tomography system, and the symmetry between stereometric parameters of the cornea was analyzed.ResultsThe study included 590 patients (241 men and 349 women) of Polish nationality with a mean age of 53.35 ± 16.70 years. The mean keratometry values were 43.26 ± 1.40 D for the right eye and 43.27 ± 1.36 for the left eye (mean absolute interocular difference 0.01 ± 0.37 D). A difference in mean keratometry values greater than or equal to 0.75 D was noted in 29 patients (4.9%), with a difference of greater than 1 D in 10 patients (1.7%). Corneal astigmatism equal to or greater than 0.75 D was noted in 396 (67.0%) of patients, while 225 patients (38.1%) had astigmatism in both eyes. Isorule astigmatism was noted in 88.4% (199/225) patients having astigmatism in both eyes. The absolute interocular difference in central corneal thickness was 7.74 ± 6.26 µm (p < 0.01), and correlated with the level of astigmatism (p = 0.02), but not with age or mean keratometry.ConclusionThe degree of corneal enantiomorphism was high in our study population, with interocular differences in keratometric power being relatively small. This study provides reference values for interocular corneal symmetry, contributing to the understanding of enantiomorphic patterns.