Abdulrahman Jazaa Alharbi¹, Mohammed Muneer Alharbi¹, Rayan Mishal Alharbi²*, Ibrahim Fahad AlRubayan², Khalid Shadad Alharbi², Lama Bayen Alharbi², Alhanouf Abdullah Alkhalaf³, Rayan Nasser Almutairi⁴, Abdulrhman Saleh Alsadun⁵, Priya Haribabu Ravi⁶, Amal Bayen Alharbi⁷ and Waled Abdullah Almutairi⁸

¹Department of Optometry, AlRass General Hospital, Al Qassim Health Cluster, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
²Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Science, Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
³Optometry Department, Qassim Armed Forced Hospital, Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
⁴Eye Center, King Saud Hospital, Uniazah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
⁵Magrabi Optical, Hail, Saudi Arabia
⁶M. Phil Optometry, Consultant Optometrist, Vision Eye Specialist Center, Buraidah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
⁷MBBs, Maternity and Children Hospital, Buraidah, Qassim Health Cluster, Saudi Arabia
⁸Security Forces Hospitals Program, General Directorate of Medical Services, Ministry of Interior, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

*Corresponding Author: Rayan Mishal Alharbi, Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Science, Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

Received: August 30, 2025; Published: September 30, 2025

Abstract

Purpose: While the Middle East is a high-prevalence region for keratoconus (KC), there is a lack of epidemiological data from the Qassim province of Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to characterize the demographic and topographic patterns of KC in this population.

Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on the records of 62 patients (124 eyes) diagnosed with bilateral KC at different hospitals in the Qassim province between January 2020 and March 2023. Demographic data and corneal topographic parameters were extracted. Non-parametric tests and Spearman's correlation were used for statistical analysis.

Results: The cohort had a male predominance (62.9%). The most common morphological pattern was an inferiorly located cone. A statistically significant difference in maximum keratometry (Max K) was found across age groups in the left eye (p = 0.043). Cone location was also significantly associated with disease severity (p < 0.05). A strong, inverse correlation was confirmed between Max K and thinnest corneal pachymetry in both right (p < 0.001) and left eyes (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study provides the first clinical profile of keratoconus in the Qassim province, showing a pattern of male predominance and diagnosis typically occurring in the third decade of life, which may suggest delayed detection. The findings establish a baseline for regional clinical management and highlight the need for public health initiatives for earlier diagnosis.

Keywords: Keratoconus; Qassim; Saudi Arabia; Corneal Topography; Epidemiology; Ectasia; Keratometry; Pachymetry.

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Citation

Citation: Rayan Mishal Alharbi., et al. “Topographic Patterns and Demographic Profile of Keratoconus in the Qassim Province of Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Analysis".Acta Scientific Ophthalmology 8.10 (2025): 11-20.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Rayan Mishal Alharbi., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.