Causes And Diagnoses

Causes and Diagnoses of Keratoconus

The exact cause of keratoconus isn’t known, but a number of cases appear to be hereditary. Research is also underway to study the connection between keratoconus and other inflammatory diseases. Other causes may include:

• Corneal trauma
• Chronic eye inflammation and rubbing
• A history of ill-fitting contact lenses
• Enzyme imbalance in the cornea

Diagnosing keratoconus

Your physician can diagnose keratoconus with an eye exam that may include:

• Visual acuity test: This common eye chart test measures vision ability at various distances using a series of lenses.
• Pupil dilation: The pupil is widened with eye drops to allow a close-up examination of the eye's lens and retina.
• Tonometry: This standard test determines the pressure (intraocular pressure, or IOP) inside the eye.
• Keratometer: This device measures the curvature of surface of your cornea.
• Keratoscope: This device projects a series of concentric rings onto the cornea to identify distortions of the corneal surface.
• Corneal topography (photokeratoscopy): This imaging test maps the curvature of your cornea.