ENHANCEMENT OF VISUAL QUALITY IN KERATOCONUS USING SCLERAL CONTACT LENSES

It has long been recognized that keratoconus is the most common form of primary corneal dystrophy, characterized by a tendency toward progression. In this pathology, morphological changes affect all layers of the cornea, leading to thinning, cone-shaped deformation, and loss of transparency. Significant changes in corneal topography occur simultaneously, with myopic refraction and astigmatism developing. Refractive errors lead to decreased vision and deterioration of its quality. According to various authors, keratoconus is bilateral in 85–96% of cases [1, 23]. In most cases, the first signs of the disease appear in adolescence or early adulthood; onset is observed between the ages of 11 and 29. However, in recent years, some authors have indicated that the average age of onset of keratoconus is 21–37 years [1, 28].