Nationwide study of the association between keratoconus and autism spectrum disorder.

This large study from Norway found that autistic people are 2.5 times more likely to develop keratoconus, an eye condition that affects the cornea. Out of nearly 24,000 autistic people studied, 0.5% had keratoconus compared to only 0.2% in the general population. Most cases were diagnosed around age 27 and occurred more often in males. This suggests eye specialists should be more aware of this condition when treating autistic patients.

This nationwide Norwegian study examined the association between keratoconus (a corneal condition) and autism spectrum disorder using population registry data from 2010-2019. Among 23,763 individuals with ASD, 115 (0.5%) had keratoconus compared to 0.2% in the general population, yielding an odds ratio of 2.5 (95% CI 2.0-3.0). The average age at keratoconus diagnosis was 27.3 years, with 83.5% being male. This represents a significantly higher prevalence of keratoconus in the ASD population, suggesting a potential association between these conditions that warrants clinical attention.

Healthcare providers should maintain heightened awareness for keratoconus in autistic patients and consider lower thresholds for corneal tomography screening. This finding supports the need for comprehensive ophthalmological care as part of routine healthcare for individuals with ASD.

Cross-sectional design cannot establish causality. Relies on diagnostic coding accuracy in registry data. Does not account for potential detection bias or other confounding factors that might influence the observed association.

To examine whether there was an association between keratoconus and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Norway and compare with the general population. The total population of Norway, including all individuals with ASD and keratoconus. Cross-sectional epidemiological study. Data were obtained from the Norwegian Patient Registry, which provides information from all publicly funded specialist care.

The keratoconus prevalence among persons with ASD was estimated from the total number of individuals with keratoconus in the period 2010-2019 and compared with the prevalence in the general population of Norway during the same period. A population-based sample in Norway identified 23 763 persons with ASD, equivalent to 0.5% of the population, and of these, 115 (0.5%) had a diagnosis of keratoconus. The average age at keratoconus diagnosis among individuals with ASD was 27.3 years, and 83.5% of those diagnosed with both ASD and keratoconus were men. During the same period, the prevalence of keratoconus in the general population of Norway was 0.2%, resulting in an odds ratio of 2.5 (95% CI 2.0-3.0).

Based on our findings, people with ASD have significantly higher prevalence of keratoconus compared with the general population of Norway. This implicates that one should have increased awareness for keratoconus and low threshold for corneal tomography in patients with ASD.