comparison of corneal and anterior chamber parameters following myopic laser in situ keratomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy by pentacam as a new imaging technique

purpose : to compare changes in posterior corneal elevation, anterior chamber depth (acd), anterior chamber volume (acv) and corneal volume (cv) after laser in situ keratomileusis (lasik ) and photorefractive keratectomy (prk) for low to moderate myopia by pentacam imaging methods : in this prospective comparative case series, 105 consecutive myopic eyes randomly scheduled for lasik (n=59) or prk (n=46) in farabi eye hospital, underwent pentacam imaging. posterior corneal elevation, acd, acv and cv changes before and 6 months after operation were evaluated. results : mean posterior displacement was 4.55±4.12 µm (range: -4 to +18 µm) and 3.9±4.5 µm (-4 to +21 µm) in lasik and prk treated eyes, respectively (p>0.05). the acv, acd and cv were decreased in both groups but the reduction of these parameters pre and postoperatively in each group and between two groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). conclusion : there was no significant difference in posterior corneal displacement, acd, acv and cv between lasik and prk treated eyes.   iranian journal of ophthalmology 201123(1):27-32 © 2011 by the iranian society of ophthalmology