Posters

Conventional corneal cross-linking (3 mW/cm2) vs accelerated (9 mW/cm2) corneal cross-linking in keratoconus: a randomized prospective study

Poster Details

First Author: D. Anwar IRAQ

Co Author(s):                        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

This is a randomized prospective study comparing conventional corneal cross-linking (3 mW/cm2, 365-nm ultraviolet-A light, 30 minutes) to accelerated corneal cross-linking (9 mW/cm2, 365-nm ultraviolet-A light, 10 minutes) after instilling of 0.1% riboflavin for 30 minutes with epithelium off in both groups in patients with progressive keratoconus in their mild and moderate stages.

Setting:

Niga Eye Center, Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq

Methods:

Eighty-four eyes where involved in this study. The patients were randomly assigned to conventional and accelerated corneal cross-linking groups. Twenty-two eyes underwent conventional corneal cross-linking and 62 eyes underwent accelerated corneal cross-linking. Isotonic riboflavin 0.1 was instilled for 30 minutes in both groups before application of the ultraviolet-A light and continued during the procedure. UV-X machine [IROC,Switzerland] was used for UVA application. Outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spherical equivalent (SE) refraction, maximum karatometry (Kmax), mean keratometry (Kmean) and corneal astigmatism. The mean follow-up period was 1.1 year for conventional group and 0.8 year for accelerated group

Results:

Mean age was 19.6 years for conventional and 19.5 years for the accelerated group (p=0.49). Preoperative BCVA for conventional group was 0.58 and postoperative BCVA was 0.59 (p= 0.80). Preoperative SE refraction was -3.6 and postoperative SE refraction was -3.4 (p=0.36). Preoperative Kmax was 50.9 and postoperative was 50.3 (p= 0.039). Preoperative Kmean was 47.7 and postoperative was 47.1 (p=0.011). Preoperative astigmatism was -2.9 and postoperative was -3.1 (p=0.60). Preoperative BCVA for accelerate group was 0.59 and postoperative BCVA was 0.68 (p= 0.007). Preoperative SE refraction was -4.0 and postoperative was -3.88 (p= 0.00001). Preoperative Kmax was 49.9 and postoperative was 49.7 (p=0.056). Preoperative Kmean was 47.9 postoperative was 47.7 (p=0.13). Preoperative astigmatism was -3.4 and postoperative was -3.1 (p=0.61)

Conclusions:

This is a large-size prospective randomized study comparing accelerated to conventional corneal cross-linking. Accelerated corneal cross-linking works as good as the conventional one. It has better outcome in BCVA and SE refraction probably due to less stromal haze in accelerated compared to conventional group.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE