Possibilities of autorefkeratometry

Romancheva M.A., Chukalina I.V., Nikiforova V.A.

In modern ophthalmology, autorefkeratometry has long become a routine diagnostic study, without which it is impossible to imagine any examination. Computerized autorefkeratometers allow you to obtain a huge amount of information about the condition of the patient’s eye in a short time. At the same time, the information obtained is not always subjected to in-depth analysis.

Refractometry data should be compared with keratometry data, compared with the indicators of the paired eye, and evaluate, if possible, the dynamics of changes and their tendency. Comparison of the obtained parameters with the average statistical indicators and the age norm make it possible to establish the presence of pathology that does not belong to the field of refractive errors. Thus, the occurrence of anisometropia with similar keratometry parameters suggests opacity of the lens or vitreous pathology. Direct astigmatism is typical for young people, and oblique or reverse astigmatism is typical for patients 65+. A shift in the irido-lens diaphragm is always accompanied by a change in refraction and its instability. Keratectasias are characterized by high variability in refraction and keratometry data, while sometimes maintaining high visual acuity that does not correspond to changes in optical power. Diopter syndrome is manifested by refractive transformations in accordance with changes in the anterior-posterior axis of the eye due to retinal edema. Dry eye syndrome can be manifested by noticeable refractive instability and errors in determining keratometric parameters.

High-quality performance of autorefkeratometry, taking into account the nuances, and an in-depth analysis of the data obtained are necessary for making a diagnosis and assessing the dynamics of treatment of ocular pathology.

1. Bykova E.V., Labyntseva Ya.A., Kozina E.V., Bronskaya A.N. Sovremennye aspekty diagnostiki i lecheniya tsentral’’noi seroznoi khorioretinopatii // Sovremennye problemy nauki i obrazovaniya. – 2022. – № 2. (In Russ.)