Hi Matthew!
A very interesting question as in fact many studies seem to point to the fact that more men get KC than women. The truthful answer is, of course, "unknown" as this has never, to my knowledge, been studied.
However, lots of things about KC have never been studied! I have personally been on a mission to try and get more KC studies initiated for some years now, but with little luck. However, my recent visits to Trinidad and South Africa (just back from there) seem to be stirring things up, certainly in those countries. They both have high levels of KC (or perceived high levels of KC - there is this theory that you will find it anywhere if you look hard enough) which appear to be genetically linked and in discussions with professionals in both countries, I have now set up a website called "Keratoconus Evaluation Network"
http://www.kcen.orgWe are hoping to initiate studies in both countries and pool the results and this site has a forum where all interested parties can join in the debate. For example, in light of newer technology being able to detect milder and milder forms of KC, how do we define it? When I was there, I did some screening of schoolchildren and out of 300 just coming to the Vision 2008 congress for basic vision screening we picked up 3 KC and several suspects. Now, in some respects people could argue that what I found on topography was not strictly KC - but it was not normal either! The argument may only be settled after these cases have been monitored for a few years (some of the children with KC like corneas were only around 9). Perhaps there is a subtle scale dividing full and "mild" KC that reaches back into "normal" refractive prescriptions.
Anyway, I have wandered right off topic here, so apologies! However, you are all welcome to join the forum and pose questions like Matthew's here!
Lynn