Evaluation of crystalline lens and intraocular lens tilt using a swept-source optical coherence tomography biometer.

PURPOSE

To evaluate crystalline lens and intraocular lens (IOL) tilt using a swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) biometer (IOLMaster 700).

SETTING

Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

The study patients were evaluated for 1) repeatability of the crystalline lens tilt measurement, 2) preoperative crystalline lens and postoperative IOL tilt in right eyes, 3) mirror symmetry between right eyes and left eyes, 4) the correlation between preoperative crystalline lens and postoperative IOL tilt, and 5) the correlation between the magnitude of lens tilt and ocular parameters.

RESULTS

The study comprised 333 patients. The repeatability was 0.1 degrees for tilt magnitude and 3.0 degrees for tilt direction. Both the crystalline lens and IOL had anterior tilt of the nasal portion with mean tilt magnitudes of 3.7 degrees ± 1.1 (SD) (range 0.4 to 6.9 degrees) for the crystalline lens and 4.9 ± 1.8 degrees (range 1.6 to 10.7 degrees) for the IOL. There was mirror symmetry between right eyes and left eyes. The mean IOL tilt magnitude exceeded crystalline lens tilt by 1.2 ± 1.1 degrees (range -3.2 to 4.0 degrees), and the 2 values were significantly correlated (all P < .01). The magnitude of crystalline lens tilt significantly increased with decreasing axial length and with increasing angle α (all P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The repeatability of crystalline lens tilt measurements using the SS-OCT biometer was excellent. There was mirror symmetry between the right eyes and left eyes. Preoperative crystalline lens tilt could be used to predict the postoperative IOL tilt. The lens tilt magnitude was greater in short eyes and in eyes with larger angle α.