Corneal collagen cross-linking to stop corneal ectasia exacerbated by radial keratotomy

To assess the efficacy of riboflavin ultraviolet A (UV-A) corneal collagen cross-linking in the management of keratoconic corneal ectasia exacerbated by radial keratotomy (RK).

A patient with progressive corneal ectasia and hyperopic shift, occurring 10 years after RK performed in the left eye, was treated with riboflavin UV-A corneal collagen cross-linking according to the Siena protocol: Pilocarpin 0.1% drop (1 hour before), lidocaine 4% drops 15 minutes before, mechanical scraping of epithelium (9-mm-diameter area), preirradiation stromal soaking for 10 minutes in riboflavin 0.1%-dextrane 20% (Ricrolin; Sooft Italy) applied every 2 minutes, and 30 minutes of total exposure (6 steps of 5 minutes) to solid-state UV-A illuminator (Caporossi, Baiocchi, Mazzotta Vega X linker; CSO Opthalmics, Florence, Italy), energy delivered 3 mW/cm, and irradiated area 9 mm in diameter.

After the operation, uncorrected visual acuity and best spectacle-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.2 to 0.6 and from 0.3 to 0.8 Snellen lines, respectively, in a 12-month follow-up. Improved topographical K readings and corneal symmetry index were also recorded starting from the first postoperative month and continuing thereafter. No adverse effects were recorded after treatment.

Riboflavin UV-A-induced corneal cross-linking seems to be a promising surgical option in the management of unstable corneal ectasia exacerbated by RK, particularly in eyes with preexisting keratoconus. A large cohort and longer follow-up are needed to determine its long-term efficacy in this clinical setting.