Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
Inactivation of Pathogens via Visible-Light Photolysis of Riboflavin-5′-Phosphate
Published on: April 6, 2022
Photo-activated riboflavin therapy of refractory corneal ulcers
Anita Panda1, Sasikala N Krishna, Sandeep Kumar
1Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. anitap49@yahoo.com
Purpose:
To evaluate the therapeutic effect of photo-activated riboflavin (PAR) for treating refractory corneal ulcers.
Methods:
Seven eyes with infectious keratitis, presented with a gradually deteriorating, vision-threatening, corneal ulcer, despite intense antimicrobial therapy, were treated with PAR. The surgical procedure was deepithelialization of the affected corneas followed by UV-A riboflavin (B2) cross-linking. Local antimicrobial therapy was continued after the procedure.
Results:
In all cases, the progression of corneal melting was halted after PAR treatment. Emergency keratoplasty was not necessary in any of the 7 eyes presented. More importantly, all the ulcers were healed without significant vascularization.
Conclusion:
PAR is a promising option for treating patients with therapy-refractory infectious keratitis to avoid emergency keratoplasty and should be considered as a potential adjuvant therapeutic tool in such eyes.
