Prevalence and Patterns of Corneal Astigmatism in Cataract Surgery Candidates in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
- 2Department of Ophthalmology, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
- 3Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- 4College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
- 5Department of Surgery, Unit of Ophthalmology, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
Background
Corneal astigmatism (CA) is a frequent refractive condition in patients undergoing cataract surgery. Although international data on CA prevalence exist, regional insights from Saudi Arabia remain scarce.Methods
This retrospective observational study analyzed preoperative biometric data from 537 eyes of 453 adult cataract surgery candidates at two ophthalmology centers in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia between 2022 and 2024. CA was assessed using optical biometry and Scheimplflug tomography. Astigmatism was categorized by magnitude and axis orientation: with-the-rule (WTR), against-the-rule (ATR), and oblique (OB). Demographic correlations were examined using appropriate statistical methods.Results
The mean CA was 1.08 ± 0.97 diopters (D), with 53.7% of eyes showing astigmatism between 0.51-1.50 D. CA ≥1.5 D was found in 29.6% of eyes, while high astigmatism (>3.0 D) was rare (4.48%). ATR astigmatism was the most prevalent overall, followed by WTR and OB. When stratified by age, both ATR and WTR showed their highest prevalence in the 60-69-year age group. A weak but statistically significant positive correlation was observed between age and CA magnitude (r = 0.216, P<0.001). OB astigmatism was significantly associated with longer axial length (P = 0.008), while anterior chamber depth showed no significant variation by astigmatism type (P = 0.948).Conclusion
Corneal astigmatism is common among cataract surgery candidates in Saudi Arabia, with a substantial proportion having clinically significant levels requiring correction. Higher ATR values were detected in the older age groups compared with the younger. These findings underscore the need for standardized assessment protocols to guide astigmatism management and enhance refractive outcomes in cataract surgery.
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BibTeX
@article{aljohani2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence and Patterns of Corneal Astigmatism in Cataract Surgery Candidates in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.}},
author = {Saud AlJohani and Abdulmajeed Al Khathami and Hala Fouad Alabdulqader and Hawraa Maki Alsadiq and Taqi Dhiya Alhamad and Ahmed Y Alothman and Abdulaziz Alshehri},
journal = {Saudi journal of medicine \& medical sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.4103/sjmms.sjmms_666_25},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42974566},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prevalence and Patterns of Corneal Astigmatism in Cataract Surgery Candidates in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
AU - Saud AlJohani
AU - Abdulmajeed Al Khathami
AU - Hala Fouad Alabdulqader
AU - Hawraa Maki Alsadiq
AU - Taqi Dhiya Alhamad
AU - Ahmed Y Alothman
AU - Abdulaziz Alshehri
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Saudi journal of medicine & medical sciences
DO - 10.4103/sjmms.sjmms_666_25
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42974566
AB - Background Corneal astigmatism (CA) is a frequent refractive condition in patients undergoing cataract surgery. Although international data on CA prevalence exist, regional insights from Saudi Arabia remain scarce.Methods This retrospective observational study analyzed preoperative biometric data from 537 eyes of 453 adult cataract surgery candidates at two ophthalmology centers in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia between 2022 and 2024. CA was assessed using optical biometry and Scheimplflug tomography. Astigmatism was categorized by magnitude and axis orientation: with-the-rule (WTR), against-the-rule (ATR), and oblique (OB). Demographic correlations were examined using appropriate statistical methods.Results The mean CA was 1.08 ± 0.97 diopters (D), with 53.7% of eyes showing astigmatism between 0.51-1.50 D. CA ≥1.5 D was found in 29.6% of eyes, while high astigmatism (>3.0 D) was rare (4.48%). ATR astigmatism was the most prevalent overall, followed by WTR and OB. When stratified by age, both ATR and WTR showed their highest prevalence in the 60-69-year age group. A weak but statistically significant positive correlation was observed between age and CA magnitude (r = 0.216, P<0.001). OB astigmatism was significantly associated with longer axial length (P = 0.008), while anterior chamber depth showed no significant variation by astigmatism type (P = 0.948).Conclusion Corneal astigmatism is common among cataract surgery candidates in Saudi Arabia, with a substantial proportion having clinically significant levels requiring correction. Higher ATR values were detected in the older age groups compared with the younger. These findings underscore the need for standardized assessment protocols to guide astigmatism management and enhance refractive outcomes in cataract surgery.
SN - 1658-631X
SN - 2321-4856
ER -