Distribution of corneal and ocular spherical aberrations in eyes with cataract in the Taiwanese population

PURPOSE: To investigate the distribution of corneal and ocular spherical aberrations (SAs) in eyes with cataract in the Taiwanese population. METHODS: Corneal and ocular SAs were measured in the central 6-mm optical zone using wavefront aberrometry. Axial length (AL) and keratometry (K) were also evaluated in each eye. RESULTS: A total of 413 eyes in 234 patients were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 66.8 ± 10.64 years. The mean AL and K values were 24.32 mm and 44.08 D, respectively. The mean corneal SA was 0.307 ± 0.135 μm and ocular SA was −0.042 ± 0.487 μm. Ocular and corneal SAs were significantly correlated (r(2) = 0.04, p < 0.001). Corneal and ocular SAs were not significantly correlated with K (p = 0.096 and p = 0.634, respectively), but were significantly correlated with AL (p < 0.001). Multilinear regression showed that corneal SAs and age were the dependent variables that predicted ocular SAs (r(2) = 0.143, F = 13.65, p < 0.01), especially in patients who were aged > 50 years, for whom a strongly significant positive correlation was found (r(2) = 0.102, F = 11.10, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Corneal and ocular SAs varied among cataract patients and correlated with AL. After 50 years of age, ocular SAs increased significantly because of an increase in internal (lenticular) SAs. Corneal SAs in Taiwanese patients were larger than those in Japanese patients and similar to those in Chinese and Malaysian populations. Preoperative measurement of wavefront aberrations is necessary to select which aspherical intraocular lenses are most suitable for achieving better postoperative visual quality.