Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus (CLEK)
Principal Investigator, Joel
A. Silbert, OD
Co-Investigator, Kenneth
M. Daniels, OD
Study Coordinator, Theresa
E. Berger
Back-Up Coordinator, Mary
Jameson, BHS, COA, NCLC,
CPOT
Funded by the National
Eye Institute
Keratoconus: A conical protrusion of the cornea caused by a thinning of the stroma: usually bilateral.
The Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus (CLEK) Study is a multi-center, observational study designed to describe the course of this chronic ocular disease and to describe the associations among its visual and physiological manifestations. One thousand keratoconus subjects are enrolled at 15 participating clinics1. Examinations include visual acuity, subject-reported visual quality of life, manifest refraction, keratometry, photodocumentation of the cornea to identify central corneal scarring, photodocumentation of the flattest contact lens from the CLEK Study trial set to achieve apical clearance, and slit lamp biomicroscopy. In rigid contact lens wearers, the fluorescein pattern of the subject’s habitual contact lenses is photodocumented. The goal is to characterize the disease across its course and to identify risk factors and protective factors that determine the severity and progression of the disease.
1 University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry
University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry
University Hospitals of Cleveland Department of Ophthalmology
Gundersen Lutheran
University of Illinois-Chicago Department of Ophthalmology
Indiana University School of Optometry
Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA
University of Missouri-St. Louis School of Optometry
Northeastern Eye Institute
NOVA Southeastern University, Contact Lens Clinic
The Ohio State University College of Optometry
Pennsylvania College of Optometry
Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO)
SUNY State College of Optometry
University of Utah Department of Ophthalmology