Sterile Keratitis following Collagen Crosslinking.

PURPOSE: To report a keratoconic eye that developed severe sterile keratitis and corneal scar after collagen crosslinking necessitating corneal transplantation.

CASE REPORT: A 26-year-old man with progressive keratoconus underwent collagen crosslinking and presented with severe keratitis 72 hours after the procedure. The initial impression was infectious corneal ulcer and a fortified antibiotic regimen was administered. However, the clinical course and confocal microscopy results prompted a diagnosis of sterile keratitis. The eye developed severe corneal scars leading to reduced visual acuity and necessitating corneal transplantation.

CONCLUSION

Sterile keratitis may develop after collagen crosslinking resulting in profound visual loss leading to corneal transplantation.