Prevalence of Keratoconus in Persons With Down Syndrome in a National Registry in Norway
Olav Kristianslund, Liv Drolsum
Abstract
research has suggested that Down syndrome is associated with greater frequency of eye rubbing and possibly with more atopy. Other researchers have speculated about whether keratoconus is linked to chromosome 21. 6 Few previous studies of keratoconus in persons with Down syndrome have been carried out in Northern Europe. A case-control study by Haugen et al 2 revealed a thinner cornea, higher keratometry values, and a greater incidence of keratoconus in a group of participants with Down syndrome; 5 of 47 individuals with Down syndrome (10.6%) had keratoconus compared with 1 of 51 control participants (2.0%). In studies from various regions, proportions lower than those that we found have been reported in young patients, whereas higher proportions have often been reported in selected hospital populations.