Posters

Comparison of keratometric findings in keratoconus eyes treated with corneal collagen cross-linking with and without corticosteroid eye drops

Poster Details

First Author: N.Nassiri IRAN

Co Author(s): K. Sheibani   S. Kavousnezhad                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To determine the effect of postoperative topical steroids after CXL therapy in patients with mild to moderate keratoconus and the possibility of eliminating betamethasone after CXL.

Setting:

Torfeh Eye Hospital, Tehran. Iran.

Methods:

Patients with mild to moderate keratoconus with Kmax<55, corneal thickness of more than 400 microns and BCVA up to 0.1LogMAR, who had no history of corticosteroid treatment and no evidence of disease progression based on topography entered the present study. One eye of each patient randomly received betamethasone and topical antibiotics after CXL treatment and the other eye received only topical antibiotics. The eyes were compared regarding BCVA, UCVA, refraction, keratometric findings and pachymetry findings using Pentacam and changes of haziness using confocal microscopy before surgery, one month and six months after CXL.

Results:

There was no difference in BCVA, UCVA, refraction, keratometric findings and pachymetry between eyes receiving betamethasone and eyes without betamethasone before and six months after surgery. Based on confocal findings, corneal opacity increased significantly in the first month, which was higher in the control group. The highest corneal opacity detected in the first month was seen at the level of anterior stroma, then posterior stroma, and then the mid stroma and was higher in the placebo group. In the sixth month, these differences were statistically significant, but were not clinically significant.

Conclusions:

Betamethasone had no effect on keratometric changes, visual acuity with and without correction, and central corneal thickness within six months after CXL. It affected haziness in the first month (clinically and statistically) and in the sixth month (statistically). It seems that betamethasone treatment might be omitted in some cases based on physician's discretion.

Financial Disclosure:

None