Posters

Effect of corneal cross-linking iontophoresis retreatment in patients with progressive keratoconus

Poster Details

First Author: L. Lapenna ITALY

Co Author(s):    E. Alba   A. Acquaviva                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate the changes in visual acuity,coreal topography , anterior segment optical coherence tomography (as-OCT) analysis and confocal microscopy in 4 eyes affected by progressive keratoconus after corneal cross-linking Iontophoresis (I-CXL) retreatment.

Setting:

Corneal Cross-Linking Iontophoresis Retreatment

Methods:

Further progression of keatoconus(grade 2 and 3) was observed in 4 eyes odf 4 patients already treated with Standard CXL protocol(three eyes) and I-CXL(one eye). The mean age of the patients was 26.25 ± 6.44 years (range between 20 to 34). All the eyes showed an increase in maximum keratometry(Kmax) (range between 57.2.50 to 60.8 D) of at least 1.00 diopter(D) in corneal topographies over a 12 months period after their first cross-linking procedure.Uncorrected(UCVA) and best-spectacle corrected visual acuity(BSCVA), refraction,Kmax,confocal microscopy and as-OCT were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 3, 6,12 and 24 months after further I-CXL procedure.

Results:

Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution at baseline and were 0.2 ± 0.35 UCVA and 0.1 ± 0.24 BSCVA, respectively. Mean UCVA and BSCVA at one years improved significantly of 53,2% and 41,4%, respectively. Only one of the patients showed a progression of keratoconus up to 2 years postoperatively. Mean baseline Kmax decreased of 0.8 D at two years follow-up. Minimum corneal thickness were stable up to 24 months postoperatively. No pain and adverse side effects were reported. Endothelial cell counts did not change significantly.

Conclusions:

Repeated I-CXL seems to be a safe and effective procedure in stabilizing the progression of keratoconus combined with significant improvement of BCVA. Results up to 2 years postoperatively indicate the efficacy of I-CXL as a valid alternative with an additive flattening effect of the anterior corneal surface. However, the efficacy of this technique remains to be proved with additional studies.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE