A corneal topographer shows us the shape, contour, and amount of astigmatism in the cornea. Additionally, it detects irregularities in the cornea. Moreover, corneal topography can identify irregular zones to diagnose conditions such as
keratoconus, which is a corneal disease that can be diagnosed after corneal topography. Diagnosis plays a critical role in management of keratoconus, which is usually diagnosed in young adults. And then as you get older, the condition actually progressively gets worse. We can map out these changes over time when we take corneal topography.
It is also very helpful when fitting gas permeable, scleral lenses, and ortho-k lenses. For any type of specialty contact lens, corneal topography is necessary.