Safety Of High Intensity Accelerated Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking In Keratoconus Patients On Basis Of Endothelial...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Surgery
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Keratoconus is a progressive corneal ectasia.
• Corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) aims to stiffen the cornea and halt progression.
• Accelerated CXL protocols require safety evaluation, particularly concerning endothelial cell density (ECD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety of accelerated corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) in keratoconus patients.
• To assess the impact of accelerated CXL on endothelial cell density (ECD) measurements.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 24 keratoconus patients (42 eyes) who underwent accelerated CXL (9 Mw/cm2 UVA for 10 minutes).
• Inclusion criteria: central corneal thickness (CCT) ≥400μ.
• Specular microscopy was performed to measure endothelial cell density (ECD) preoperatively and at 1, 4, and 12 weeks post-operatively.

Main Results:

• The study included 24 patients (mean age 20.15±6.73 years).
• Post-operative ECD showed no statistically significant changes compared to pre-operative values at all measured time points (1, 4, and 12 weeks).
• P-values for ECD changes were consistently above 0.05, indicating no significant difference.

Conclusions:

• Accelerated CXL protocols are safe and effective in keratoconus patients.
• No significant changes in endothelial cell density (ECD) were observed within three months post-procedure.
• Further long-term research with larger cohorts is recommended to assess the effects of high-intensity UVA radiation on other ocular structures.