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Accelerated Corneal Cross-Linking

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Controversies in the Management of Keratoconus

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Abstract

Purpose: Corneal cross-linking (CXL) is a relatively new treatment that offers refractive stability in patients with corneal ectatic disorders. The conventional Dresden protocol has been firstly described, and its effectiveness has been demonstrated by several clinical trials. However, the long UVA exposure required, is considered time-consuming and a drawback of the procedure. In order to overcome this issue, the accelerated crosslinking (ACXL) has been lately developed. The purpose of this chapter is to compare the ACXL protocols and the conventional Dresden protocol in terms of visual acuity, keratometric and topographic parameters.

Findings: ACXL protocols seem to be a valid alternative to the conventional protocol; safety and effectiveness of the procedures has been shown by many studies but indirect measurements, such as demarcation line depth, do not always confirm equivalence of protocols. Nevertheless the high fluency procedures offer the advantage of reducing the patient discomfort, achieving a more effective time management, and avoiding the excessive corneal dehydration and thinning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology and Medical-Surgical Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Latina, Italy

    Leopoldo Spadea, Rita Napolitano, Emanuele Tonti & Vittoria De Rosa

Authors
  1. Leopoldo Spadea
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  2. Rita Napolitano
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  3. Emanuele Tonti
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  4. Vittoria De Rosa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leopoldo Spadea .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Director of IVISION, Refractive Surgery and Keratoconus Treatment Center, Haifa, Israel

    Adel Barbara

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Spadea, L., Napolitano, R., Tonti, E., De Rosa, V. (2019). Accelerated Corneal Cross-Linking. In: Barbara, A. (eds) Controversies in the Management of Keratoconus . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98032-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98032-4_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98031-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98032-4

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