Evaluation of unilateral corneal collagen cross-linking on fellow untreated eyes of patients with keratoconus.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the effects of unilateral corneal collagen cross-linking treatment on visual acuity and the topographic findings of the fellow untreated eye of patients who had bilateral progressive keratoconus.

METHODS

Patients with progressive keratoconus who underwent cross-linking treatment were screened retrospectively. A total of 188 untreated eyes of 188 patients whose eyes were treated unilaterally with either standard or accelerated cross-linking and refused cross-linking procedure for the fellow eye were included. Visual acuity and topographic findings of the fellow untreated eyes were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, 24th, 30th, and 36th months.

RESULTS

The change over time of variables examined was similar in the untreated eyes of patients who received standard and accelerated cross-linking methods (p>0.05). At the 12th month, 136 (95.8%) untreated eyes were stable according to progression criteria. Only 4 (8%) eyes were progressive at the 24th month. No progression was observed in any of the 16 patients with a 36-month follow up.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that the fellow untreated eyes of patients with bilateral progressive keratoconus did not have significant progression rates after unilateral cross-linking treatment.