Sequence of events leading to diagnosis of keratoconus and its impact on quality of life

PURPOSE: Early diagnosis of keratoconus (KCN) and corneal collagen cross-linking can ensure that best-corrected visual acuity is preserved. We report the sequence of events leading to the diagnosis of KCN, as well as its impact on quality of life. METHODS: This survey-based study included patients diagnosed with KCN for the first time at our center. Their corneal tomography was analyzed, and they were provided with a proforma and the NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire and were asked to answer the given set of questions. RESULTS: The study included 328 eyes of 164 patients. At the time of diagnosis, 112 (68.3%) patients were not aware of a disease called “keratoconus.” VKC was present in 56 patients, and 92 patients were not aware of the need to avoid eye rubbing. In total, 101 patients gave a history of sleeping more often on the side with worse KCN. The preferred primary point of contact was an optometrist for 45.1% of patients; 51.2% of patients reported never having visited an ophthalmologist. Sixty-four (39%) patients were advised a screening test to rule out KCN before presenting to our center; 42 (71.8%) of these patients did not get it done. Vision-targeted score showed a significant negative correlation with grade of KCN (r value: −0.471) and positive correlation (r value: 0.534) with LogMAR vision. CONCLUSION: KCN is a disease of the young and severely affects the quality of life. Improving awareness of the general public, ensuring timely referral by optometrists, and keeping a high index of suspicion is emphasized.