Subclinical Inflammatory Response: Accelerated versus Standard Corneal Cross-Linking.

Purpose: To compare the subclinical inflammatory response (as measured by anterior chamber flare) induced after standard (3 mW/cm2, 30 min) and accelerated (18 mW/cm2, 5 min) corneal cross-linking (CXL).

Methods

In this comparative, non-randomized study, patients with progressive keratoconus who underwent standard or accelerated CXL were studied. Laser flare photometery (FM-600; Kowa, Tokyo, Japan) was used to measure anterior chamber flare preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the procedure.

Results

Sixty eyes of 60 patients were studied; 30 eyes in each group. Mean baseline flare values were 4.15 ± 1.19 and 4.57 ± 2.17 ph/ms in standard and accelerated groups, respectively (p = 0.228).and after surgery increased in all follow-up measurements in the both groups similarly (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Both standard and accelerated CXL results in induction of a subclinical inflammatory response that persists up to 6 month. The response was similar between the two groups.