Purpose. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of accelerated corneal collagen cross-linking (ACXL) in patients below 14 years of age with progressive keratoconus. Materials and Methods. Thirty eyes of 18 patients with established progressive keratoconus underwent preoperative and postoperative visual acuity assessment, topography, and specular microscopy prior to ACXL and were followed up for 24 months. Results. Mean age of the patients was 12.7 years with ten males and eight females. There was an improvement in the mean postoperative uncorrected distant visual acuity (from 0.76 ± 0.26 to 0.61 ± 0.25; P = 0.005), mean corrected distant visual acuity (from 0.24 ± 0.19 to 0.12 ± 0.12; P < 0.001), mean spherical refraction (from −3.04 DS ± 3.60 to −2.38 DS ± 3.37; P = 0.28), mean cylinder (from −3.63 DC ± 1.82 to −2.80 DC ± 1.48; P = 0.008), and spherical equivalent (from −4.70 D ± 3.86 to −3.75 D ± 3.49; P = 0.15). Three eyes of two patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) showed progression. There were no intra- or postoperative complications. Conclusion. In pediatric patients ACXL is an effective and safe procedure for the management of keratoconus. Optimal management of VKC is important to arrest the progression of keratoconus.
Purpose. To report the profile of microbial keratitis occurring after corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in keratoconus patients.
Methods. A retrospective analysis of 2350 patients (1715 conventional CXL, 310 transepithelial CXL, and 325 accelerated CXL) over 7 years (from January 2007 to January 2014) of progressive keratoconus, who underwent CXL at a tertiary eye care centre, was performed. Clinical findings, treatment, and course of disease of four eyes that developed postprocedural moxifloxacin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MXRSA) infectious keratitis are highlighted. Results. Four eyes that underwent CXL (0.0017%) had corneal infiltrates. All eyes that developed keratitis had conventional CXL. Corneal infiltrates were noted on the third postoperative day. Gram's stain as well as culture reported MXRSA as the causative agent in all cases. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in each case was positive for eubacterial genome. All patients were treated with fortified antibiotic eye drops, following which keratitis resolved over a 6-week period with scarring. All these patients were on long-term preoperative oral/topical steroids for chronic disorders (chronic vernal keratoconjunctivitis, bronchial asthma, and chronic eczema). Conclusion. The incidence of infectious keratitis after CXL is a rare complication (0.0017%). MXRSA is a potential organism for causing post-CXL keratitis and should be identified early and treated aggressively with fortified antibiotics.
CXL appears to be an effective procedure in the management of superficial microbial keratitis. It can be used as an adjunctive treatment in the management of non-resolving microbial keratitis.
Epi-Bowman Keratectomy appears to be an effective and safe method of corneal epithelial debridement with negligible damage to Bowman's membrane and the surrounding epithelium leading to early healing thereby reducing the post-operative pain and complications.
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