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Long-term database analysis of conventional and accelerated crosslinked keratoconic mid-European eyes

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the long-term efficacy of accelerated corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in a large mid-European cohort with progressive keratoconus.

Methods

Four hundred thirteen eyes of 316 patients with progressive keratoconus were enrolled and treated with conventional (group A) or accelerated (group B) CXL. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), slit lamp, and Pentacam® examinations were performed before and 12, 24, and 36 months after surgery. Maximum and mean anterior keratometry (Kmax, Kmf), corneal topography indices, and corneal pachymetry (TCT) were examined within each group and between groups. Further subgroup analysis of mild and moderate keratoconic eyes was performed.

Results

One hundred thirty-one eyes of 101 patients were treated in group A, 282 eyes of 215 patients in group B. (UDVA, CDVA) and Kmax improved within each group, but not statistically significantly between groups after 36 months (p = 0.081, p = 0.344, p = 0.113, respectively). Kmf remained stable in both groups. TCT decreased significantly in group A (p = 0.014), but remained stable in group B (p = 0.063). Subgroup analysis showed similar results with improvement in visual acuity and keratometry and decrease of TCT. Corneal topography indices showed no differences between the groups after 36 months, but developed differently in the subgroup analysis. No correlation was detected between the change of corneal topography indices and TCT with regard to preoperative Kmax.

Conclusion

In a large mid-European study population including subgroup analysis of mild and moderate keratoconus, accelerated CXL showed similar results to conventional CXL regarding keratometry, corneal topography indices, and CDVA, but further improvement of UDVA. Preoperative Kmax did not affect the postoperative course of corneal topography indices and TCT.

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Acknowledgements

A part of this work was presented at the 114th DOG Congress in September 2016 (Berlin) and at the XXXV ESCRS Congress in October 2017 (Lisbon).

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No funding was received for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Mathildenstrasse 8, D-80336, Munich, Germany

    Efstathios Vounotrypidis, Alexis Athanasiou, Karsten Kortüm, Daniel Kook, Siegfried Priglinger & Wolfgang J. Mayer

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Mehdi Shajari

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  1. Efstathios Vounotrypidis
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  2. Alexis Athanasiou
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Correspondence to Efstathios Vounotrypidis.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee (Institutional Review Board from the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, LMU Munich) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study, a formal consent is not required.

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Informed consent was obtained from all the individual participants included in the study.

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Vounotrypidis, E., Athanasiou, A., Kortüm, K. et al. Long-term database analysis of conventional and accelerated crosslinked keratoconic mid-European eyes. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 256, 1165–1172 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-018-3955-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-018-3955-3

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