Patients With Down Syndrome May Have Keratoconus-Like Corneas

Over 70% of people with Down syndrome (DS) – many more than previously thought – may have corneas similar in morphology to the corneas of people with keratoconus, a new study reports.

People with DS have thinner and steeper corneas and more corneal abnormalities than people with normal corneas and without genetic alterations, the authors write in JAMA Ophthalmology, online June 21.

“This report changes the paradigm of eye care for patients with Down syndrome,” lead author Dr. Jorge L. Alio of Vissum Alicante ophthalmology clinic of Miguel Hernandez University in Alicante, Spain, told Reuters Health.

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