Corneal collagen crosslinking using riboflavin and ultraviolet-A light for keratoconus:

Purpose

To evaluate changes in corneal curvature, corneal elevation, corneal thickness, lens density, and foveal thickness after corneal collagen crosslinking with riboflavin and ultraviolet-A (UVA) light in eyes with progressive keratoconus.

Setting

Grewal Eye Institute, Chandigarh, India.

Methods

Subjective refraction, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), Scheimpflug imaging, and optical coherence tomography were performed preoperatively and 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months, and 1 year after crosslinking.

Results

There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in mean values between preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively, respectively, in BCVA (0.22 ± 0.10 and 0.20 ± 0.10), spherical equivalent (−6.30 ± 4.50 diopters (D) and −4.90 ± 3.50 D), or cylinder vector (1.58 × 7^° ± 3.8 D and 1.41 × 24^° ± 3.5 D). There was no significant difference in mean measurements between preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively, respectively, for central corneal thickness (458.9 ± 40 μm and 455.2 ± 48.6 μm), anterior corneal curvature (50.6 ± 7.4 D and 51.5 ± 3.6 D), posterior corneal curvature (−7.7 ± 1.2 D and −7.4 ± 1.1 D), apex anterior (P = .9), posterior corneal elevation (P = .7), lens density (P = .33), or foveal thickness (175.7 ± 35.6 μm and 146.4 ± 8.5 μm; P = .1).

Conclusions

Stable BCVA, spherical equivalent, anterior and posterior corneal curvatures, and corneal elevation 1 year after crosslinking indicate that keratoconus did not progress. Unchanged lens density and foveal thickness suggest that the lens and macula were not affected after UVA exposure during crosslinking.