Objective:

To describe the clinical-refractive characteristics of KC patients at pediatric age and their evolution, at the Donum Foundation Medical Center, Cuenca, Ecuador.

Method:

An observational, prospective and longitudinal study was carried out in 94 pediatric patients (188 eyes) diagnosed with KC, diagnosed in 2015 and followed up to 2018, in the Donum Foundation Medical Center, Cuenca, Ecuador. The arithmetic mean of the sample was obtained: mean keratometry, pachymetry at the thinnest point and refractive cylinder, at two moments. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of repeated measures was used for a factor with confidence interval adjustment by Bonferroni and p value.

Results:

A statistically significant increase was obtained between the mean value of average keratometry of the sample (49.6 D), at the time of diagnosis, and the mean value of average keratometry at 3 years of follow-up (52.4 D). (p = 0.02; a = 0.05), a statistically significant decrease between the average pachymetry of the sample, at the time of diagnosis (482 µm), and the average pachymetry of the sample, at 3 years of follow-up (459 µm) (p = 0.03; a = 0.05) A statistically significant increase was obtained between the average refractive cylinder of the sample, at the time of diagnosis (4.6 D), and the average refractive cylinder of the sample, at 3 years of follow-up (5.1 D) (p = 0.01; a = 0.05).

Conclusions:

The modifications of keratometry, refractive cylinder and pachymetry suggest progression of the disease in this age group, in a period of 3 years.