Search Results (4)

Background/Objectives: Transepithelial accelerated corneal crosslinking (TE-ACXL) is a minimally invasive approach for stabilizing progressive keratoconus while preserving the corneal epithelium. This study aims to evaluate changes in visual acuity, refractive error, and corneal parameters before and six months after TE-ACXL. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 30 eyes from 20 patients who underwent TE-ACXL between May 2021 and June 2023. Variables included were uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), spherical and cylindrical refractive error, and corneal tomography parameters such as maximum keratometry (Kmax), the symmetry index (Si), the keratoconus vertex (KV), Baiocchi–Calossi–Versaci index (BCV), thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), and central corneal thickness (CCT). Results: CDVA improved from 0.20 ± 0.22 to 0.06 ± 0.11 LogMAR (p = 0.004), while UDVA improved from 0.47 ± 0.35 to 0.29 ± 0.30 LogMAR (p < 0.001). Spherical and cylindrical refractive error showed significant reductions from −2.18 ± 3.05 D to −1.31 ± 1.84 D (p < 0.001) and −3.33 ± 1.98 D to −2.33 ± 1.52 D (p < 0.001), respectively. Pachymetry values decreased significantly, with TCT reducing from 466.43 ± 31.24 µm to 438.63 ± 30.54 µm (p < 0.001) and CCT from 480.80 ± 33.24 µm to 451.23 ± 29.26 µm (p < 0.001). Kmax showed a modest reduction (52.33 ± 3.51 D to 51.19 ± 3.63 D, p < 0.001), while other topographic indices, including Si, KV, and BCV, exhibited minor, non-significant changes, except for BCV back (p = 0.031). Conclusions: TE-ACXL was associated with significant improvements in visual acuity and refractive stability at six months postoperatively while maintaining a favorable safety profile. The procedure may serve as an effective option for early intervention in progressive keratoconus. Full article

Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) is a therapeutic intervention that utilizes riboflavin photochemical activation with ultraviolet-A (UV-A) light to induce covalent cross-links within the stromal corneal fibers, effectively increasing corneal biomechanical stability and halting the progressive ectasia. The method was introduced in the late 1990s in Germany at the University of Dresden. The cross-linking method using the Avedro system (Waltham, MA, USA) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 18 April 2016, based on three prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trials for keratoconus and other corneal ectasias. Recent innovations in CXL include a range of new treatment protocols and methods, which have been introduced to further enhance the clinical effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of CXL. These modifications encompass approaches like transepithelial or epithelium-on CXL (TE-CXL or epi-on CXL), accelerated CXL (ACXL), pulsed CXL (PL-CXL), transepithelial iontophoresis-assisted crosslinking (I-CXL), diluted alcohol and iontophoresis-assisted corneal cross-linking (DAI-CXL), slit-lamp CXL, and CXL plus (combined) methods. This review synthesizes findings on currently used modifications of the cross-linking method, the effectiveness, and directions of development of this currently dominant surgical method of treating corneal ectasia. This review concentrates on the long-term follow-up data, based on publications ranging from 1998 up to 2023. Full article

Purpose: To assess the 3-year clinical results of the 18 mW 7 J/cm² transepithelial enhanced fluence pulsed light M accelerated crosslinking in the treatment of progressive keratoconus (KC) with chemically enhanced hyper-concentrated riboflavin solutions without iontophoresis and with air-room oxygenation. Setting: Siena Crosslinking Center, Siena, Italy. Methods: Prospective pilot, open non-randomized interventional study including 40 eyes of 30 young adult patients over 21 years old (10 simultaneous bilateral) with early (Stage I and II) progressive KC undergoing TE-EFPL 18 mW/7 J/cm² ACXL (EFPL M TECXL). The 12 min and 58 s pulsed light (1 s on/1 s off) UV-A exposure treatments were performed with a biphasic corneal soaking using Paracel I 0.25% for 4 min and Paracel II 0.22% for 6 min riboflavin solutions and New KXL I UV-A emitter (Glaukos-Avedro, Waltham, USA) at an air room of 21% oxygenation. All patients completed the 3-year follow-up. Results: CDVA showed a statistically significant improvement in the third postoperative month (Δ + 0.17 d. e.) with a final gain of +0.22 d. eq. AK showed a statistically significant decrease in the sixth postoperative month (Δ − 1.15 diopters). K itmax showed a statistically significant decrease at 1-year follow-up (Δ − 1.3 diopters). The coma value improved significantly by the sixth month (Δ − 0.54 µm). MCT remained stable during the entire follow-up. No adverse events were recorded. Corneal OCT revealed a mean demarcation line depth at 282.6 ± 23.6 μm. Conclusions: Transepithelial enhanced fluence pulsed light M accelerated crosslinking with chemically enhanced riboflavin solution halted KC progression in young adult patients without iontophoresis and no intraoperative oxygen supplementation addressing the importance of increased fluence. Full article

All corneal cross-linking techniques attenuated disease progression in patients with pediatric keratoconus for at least one year based on a meta-analysis. A standard and accelerated technique led to marked improvement in visual acuity. We determined the efficacy and safety of corneal cross-linking (CXL) in pediatric keratoconus by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. The PubMed and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies on the effects of standard, transepithelial, and/or accelerated CXL protocols in patients aged 18 years or younger. Standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare the data collected at baseline and 12 months. The primary outcomes were maximum keratometry (Kmax) and uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), and the secondary outcomes were the thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and manifest refraction spherical equivalent or cylindrical refraction. Our search yielded 7913 publications, of which 26 were included in our systematic review and 21 were included in the meta-analysis. Standard CXL significantly improved the Kmax, UCVA, and BCVA, and significantly decreased the TCT. Accelerated CXL significantly improved UCVA and BCVA. In the transepithelial and accelerated-transepithelial CXL methods, each measurable parameter did not change after treatments. All CXL techniques attenuated disease progression in patients with pediatric keratoconus for at least one year. Standard and accelerated CXL led to marked improvement in visual acuity. Full article