Contralateral Eye Study in Children With Progressive Keratoconus: Efficacy of CXLTherapy
Purpose
To compare the evaluation and efficacy of standard corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in children (<18 years) with progressive keratoconus (KC) in a comparative eye study.
Methods
Twenty KC patients (40 eyes) were included in this prospective, non-randomized, interventional clinical study. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), corneal topography, corneal tomography and endothelial cell count were evaluated at baseline, 6, 12 and at 24 months follow-up. The worse eye was treated with CXL (Group 1), and the fellow eye served as the control (Group 2).
Results
Mean patient age was 13.5 +/- 2.2 years (range 9 –17 years). The group 1 treated with CXL demonstrated an increase in CDVA by 0.04 +/- 0.06 LogMAR after 2 years. The steep, flat and apical keratometry decreased by 0.65 +/- 0.60 D; 0.52 +/- 0.79 D and 1.08 +/-1.20 D respectively. At 2-years follow-up there was statistical difference comparing the two groups. The fellow eye (group 2) showed a progressive worsening in CDVA, which decreased by 0.15 +/- 0.05 LogMAR (p<0.0001), steep, flat and apical keratometry increased by 0.97+/- 0.60 D; 1.23+/- 0.48 D and 1.79+/-1.11 D respectively (p <0.0001).
Conclusion
At two years after CXL treatment, visual acuity and corneal curvature remained stable in treated eyes of children with progressive keratoconus, while the non treated group presented a significant disease progression.