Quality of life in patients with progressive keratoconus treated with corneal collagen crosslinking

This study aims to analyze the vision-related quality of life (vr-QoL) in keratoconus (KC) patients after corneal crosslinking (CXL).

A prospective clinical study was conducted, wherein 41 patients underwent assessment using the "National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire" (NEI-25) and the "Keratoconus Outcomes Research Questionnaire" (KORQ) to evaluate vr-QoL, along with the examination of morphology and functional parameters before CXL, and at three and six months post-treatment. Rasch analyses were used to verify the measurement precision of the KORQ with our study population.

There were no statistically significant changes observed in corneal morphology and best corrected visual acuity after CXL. Analysis of the NEI-25 questionnaires and KORQ demonstrated no statistically significant changes throughout the follow-up period. Rasch analyses revealed a high measurement precision of the KORQ within our population.

The study indicates that patients with progressive KC maintain stable vr-QoL after undergoing CXL. Based on our findings, we suggest considering very early CXL treatment for KC patients that are at high risk of progression.