Accelerated vs. conventional collagen cross-linking for infectious keratitis.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal diseases
• Infectious diseases

Background:

• Infectious keratitis incidence is rising, posing challenges for ophthalmologists.
• Standard antimicrobial and antifungal therapies are often insufficient for resistant cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and safety of conventional versus accelerated photoactivated chromophore collagen cross-linking (CXL) for infectious keratitis.
• To evaluate treatment outcomes in patients with corneal ulcers resistant to standard therapies.

Main Methods:

• Prospective comparative study involving two groups (n=8 each) of patients with infectious keratitis.
• One group received conventional CXL, the other accelerated CXL.
• Statistical analysis included t-tests for quantitative variables and Fisher exact tests for qualitative variables.

Main Results:

• The mean healing time for accelerated CXL was 32.9±9.4 days, compared to 34.9±11.4 days for conventional CXL (P=0.708).
• No statistically significant difference in healing time was observed between the two protocols.
• Accelerated CXL is approximately three times shorter than the conventional protocol.

Conclusions:

• Accelerated photoactivated chromophore collagen cross-linking is as safe and effective as the conventional protocol for infectious keratitis.
• The accelerated protocol offers a significant time-saving advantage for both clinicians and patients.
• This approach provides a valuable alternative for managing difficult-to-treat corneal infections.