000168440 001__ 168440 000168440 005__ 20260205155159.0 000168440 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1016/j.optom.2025.100595 000168440 0248_ $$2sideral$$a147915 000168440 037__ $$aART-2026-147915 000168440 041__ $$aeng 000168440 100__ $$aArizcuren, Ana R.$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000168440 245__ $$aInfluence of iris color on corneal densitometry 000168440 260__ $$c2026 000168440 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000168440 5203_ $$aPurpose: To determine whether iris pigmentation introduces a measurable bias in corneal densitometry (CD) values obtained via Scheimpflug imaging, and to develop an objective metric for iris color quantification. Methods: This observational study included 91 eyes from 47 healthy adults. CD was assessed as mean pixel intensity (MPI) from 25 Scheimpflug images per eye. Brightness artefacts from the iris were quantified using automated image processing. Iris color was objectively characterized from slit-lamp photographs using an objective singlevalue metric (IrisColor) derived from normalized CIELAB components. Associations among CD, iris brightness, and iris pigmentation were evaluated using Pearson correlation and linear mixed-effects models (LMMs). Results: CD correlated positively with iris brightness artefacts (r = 0.47, β = 1.49, p < 0.001), which in turn showed a strong negative correlation with IrisColor (r = −0.83, β = −1.11, p < 0.001). Lighter-colored irises (lower IrisColor values) exhibited statistically significantly higher CD values equivalent to a 6.6% relative overestimation. Groupwise comparisons confirmed that iris pigmentation significantly influences both CD and overall image brightness. Conclusion: Iris pigmentation induces a measurable bias in Scheimpflug-based CD estimates, primarily through increased brightness artefacts in light-colored eyes. The proposed IrisColor metric enables objective, continuous classification of iris color and could support future corrections for pigmentation-induced bias in CD-based diagnostics. 000168440 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/HORIZON EUROPE/101162733/EU/Visual Impairment Screening using Images from Ophthalmology and Novel pathways for Structural Analysis and Fast Evaluation/VISIONSAFE 000168440 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000168440 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000168440 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-5186-1837$$aConsejo, Alejandra$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000168440 7102_ $$12002$$2385$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Física Aplicada$$cÁrea Física Aplicada 000168440 773__ $$g19, 2 (2026), 100595 [5 pp.]$$pJ. optom.$$tJournal of Optometry$$x1888-4296 000168440 8564_ $$s1311153$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/168440/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000168440 8564_ $$s2721254$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/168440/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000168440 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:168440$$particulos$$pdriver 000168440 951__ $$a2026-02-05-14:36:38 000168440 980__ $$aARTICLE