Corneal Curvature Changes and Uncorrected Distance Visual Acuity after Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking for Progressive Keratoconus: A one year follow-up survey

Sattar Rajabi¹, Mohammad Aghazadeh Amiri², Seyyedmehdi Tabatabaee³, Ahmad Salamatrad⁴ and Mohammad Yavari⁵

¹Master of Optometry, Melli Bank Hospital, Tehran, Iran. ²OD.of Optometry, Head of Optometry Group and Faculty Member of Rehabilitation Sciences College, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ³PhD specialist of Biostatistics, Faculty Member of Rehabilitation Sciences College, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ⁴Ophthalmologist, Farabi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ⁵Ophthalmologist, Melli Bank Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract: Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) is a therapeutic intervention to decrease the progression of keratoconus and reduce the need for keratoplasty. The present study aimed to efficacy of CXL on corneal curvature changes and uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) through a one-year follow-up survey. This was a descriptive and analytical study conducted on 38 eyes of 27 patients aged 15-25 years who underwent CXL on progressive keratoconus. The levels of uncorrected distance visual acuity and the front and back surface curvatures of the cornea (using a sagittal pentacam map) were determined before and one year after surgery. The data were analyzed with statistical package SPSS (version 19). The UDVA, steep, flat, and mean curvatures of the anterior surface significantly improved by 0.10 ± 0.25 LogMAR (P=0.012), 0.75 ± 1.09D, 0.79 ± 1.23D, and 0.79 ± 1.10 D (P< 0.05), respectively. The Kmax (0.21 ± 1.65 (P=0.421)), and anterior surface astigmatism -(0.04±0.84 (P=0.745)) of the cornea did not show significant changes, whereas back surface curvatures increased. CXL is an effective strategy to halt and reduce progression of keratoconus and can have an important role in limiting decrease of vision.

Keywords: Corneal curvature; Progressive keratoconus; Cross-Linking; Uncorrected distance visual acuity

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