AIM:Todescribethecharacteristicsofmodulationtransferfunction(MTF)ofanteriorcornealsurface,andobtainthethenormalreferencerangeofMTFatdifferentspatialfrequenciesandopticalzonesoftheanteriorcornealsurfaceinmyopes.·METHODS:Fourhundredeyesfrom200patientswereexaminedunderSIRIUScornealtopographysystem.PhoenisanalysissoftwarewasappliedtosimulatetheMTFcurvesofanteriorcornealsurfaceatverticalandhorizontalmeridiansatthe3,4,5,6,7mmopticalzonesofcornea.TheMTFvaluesatspatialfrequenciesof5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45,50,55and60cycles/degree(c/d)wereselected.·RESULTS:TheMTFcurveofanteriorcornealsurfacedecreasedrapidlyfromlowtointermediatefrequency(0-15cpd)atvariousopticalzonesofcornea,thevaluedecreasedto0slowlyathigherfrequency(>15cpd).Withtheincreaseoftheopticalzonesofcornea,MTFcurvedecreasedgradually.3)Intherangeof3mm-6mmopticalzonesofthecornea,theMTFvaluesmeasuredathorizontalmeridianweregreaterthanthecorrespondingvaluesathorizontalmeridianofeachspatialfrequency,thedifferencewasstatisticallysignificant(P<0.05).At7mmopticalzonesofcornea,theMTFvaluesmeasuredathorizontalmeridianwerelessthanthecorrespondingvaluesatverticalmeridianat10-60spatialfrequencies(cpd),andthedifferencewasstatisticallysignificantin25,30,35,40,45,50cpd(P<0.05).·CONCLUSION:MTFcanbeusedtodescribetheimagingqualityofopticalsystemsatanteriorcornealsurfaceobjectivelyindetail.
