Transepithelial corneal collagen crosslinking for progressive keratoconus in a pediatric age group.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transepithelial corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) in children with keratoconus and the refractive changes induced by this treatment.

SETTING

Ophthalmology Department, Ain-Shams University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt.

DESIGN

Prospective comparative case series.

METHODS

Patients younger than 18 years with bilateral keratoconus had transepithelial CXL with the use of transepithelial riboflavin. The other eye was used as a control and was treated conservatively. The uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and corneal tomography at 12 months were the main outcome measures.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 22 patients (22 eyes) was 15.7 years ± 2.1 (SD). After transepithelial CXL, the improvement in the mean UDVA was statistically significant (from 0.95 ± 0.34 logMAR to 0.68 ± 0.45 logMAR) (P<.05). No eye lost lines of preoperative UDVA; 1 eye lost 1 line of preoperative CDVA. There was no improvement in the control group in UDVA or CDVA (P>.05). The mean simulated keratometry (K) decreased by a mean of 2.03 diopters (D), with mean flattening of the apical K by 2.20 D; both results were statistically significant (P<.05). In the control group, the simulated K increased by a mean of 0.59 D (P>.05), with mean steepening of the apical K by 2.9 D (P<.05). No significant changes occurred in the endothelial cell count in either group.

CONCLUSION

Preliminary results of transepithelial CXL in children with keratoconus were encouraging, with no evidence of progression of keratoconus over 12 months.