Comparison of corneal biomechanical parameters in healthy corneas with symmetric and asymmetric bow-tie topographic pattern with inferior and superior steepening

To compare the corneal biomechanical parameters in healthy corneas with symmetric and asymmetric bow-tie topographic patterns.

In this cross-sectional study, 144 eyes were divided based on inferior–superior asymmetry value (I–S) into symmetric (zero I–S: − 0.50 to + 0.50 D) and asymmetric bow-tie topographic patterns with inferior (positive I–S: + 0.51 to + 1.4 D) or superior (negative I–S: − 2.5 to − 0.51 D) steepening. The biomechanical assessment was performed using Corvis ST and ocular response analyzer (ORA). A general linear model univariate analysis was used to compare the parameters, while the central corneal thickness, intraocular pressure, and age were considered covariates.

Only the peak distance (PD) at the highest concavity phase (P = 0.007) and tomographic biomechanical index (TBI, P = 0.001) showed statistically significant differences between the three groups. For TBI, this difference was statistically significant between the positive I–S group separately with the zero I–S group (P < 0.001), and with the negative I–S group (P = 0.022). For PD, the significant difference was between the negative I–S group separately with zero I–S (P = 0.019), and positive I–S groups (P = 0.018). There was a statistically significant correlation between the I–S value with PD (r = 0.281, P = 0.001) and TBI (r = 0.170, P = 0.044).

Most corneal biomechanical parameters are not statistically significant compared to the zero I–S group. However, superior steepening is associated with a stiffer response based solely on the shorter PD values seen in this group, and the group with the inferior steepening shows the highest or more suspicious values based on TBI.