What is corneal topography?
Corneal topography maps the surface shape of the cornea, producing a colour-coded elevation and curvature map that shows how regular the surface is and where the steep and flat areas lie.
- Subject
- Surgery journey
- Topic
- Eye tests & scans
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
It is the test that most often changes the recommendation, because it can reveal an irregular or suspicious pattern that a refraction alone would never show.
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This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
The UK professional body for ophthalmologists, which publishes standards and commissioning guidance for refractive surgery services.
Used for What good preoperative assessment and consent look like.
Link checked 22 September 2026
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026