Corneal cross-linking for paediatric keratoconus: long-term results

Session Details

Session Title: Cross-Linking

Session Date/Time: Sunday 11/09/2016 | 08:00-09:30

Paper Time: 08:06

Venue: Auditorium A

First Author: : D.Godefrooij THE NETHERLANDS

Co Author(s): :    N. Soeters   S. Imhof   R. Wisse              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To assess the efficacy and safety of cross-linking in pediatric keratoconus patients and to provide a systematic literature overview regarding this subject.

Setting:

University Medical Center Utrecht, tertiary referral center for cornea pathology

Methods:

In this prospective cohort, 54 eyes of 36 pediatric keratoconus patients underwent standard epithelium-off cross-linking. Follow-up measurements taken up to five years after treatment were compared to baseline values. Logistic regression was used to identify the underlying cause in case of progression despite treatment.

Results:

At all follow-up visits up to five year, maximum keratometry values improved significantly (mean change at five years -2.06 diopters, P=0.01); moreover, average keratometry, uncorrected distance visual acuity and corrected distance visual acuity improved at all follow-up moments, though not always to the level of statistical significance. In twelve eyes (22%) keratoconus had progressed by ≥1.0 D by the last follow-up visit, despite corneal cross-linking. Cones that were more decentralized were identified as the underlying cause of disease progression.

Conclusions:

Our long term follow-up reveals that epithelium-off cross-linking is both safe and effective when used to prevent keratoconus progression in pediatric patients. However, disease progression occurred in 22% of the treated eyes; this progression was attributed to a more decentralized cone location.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE