Abstract
To characterize changes in densitometry after corneal crosslinking (CXL) and correlate it with visual outcomes. Tertiary referral academic medical center, New York, New York, USA. Retrospective case series. Patients with progressive keratoconus or post-laser insitu keratomileusis ectasia had CXL following the Dresden protocol. The corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and Pentacam imaging were obtained at baseline and follow-up visits. Fifty-seven patients were followed for a mean of 15months (range 1 to 24months) after CXL. The CDVA improved significantly from baseline to 6, 12, 18, and 24months postoperatively. The change in densitometry of the mid-stromal layer, 2.0 to 6.0mm annulus, at 6months was correlated with the improvement in CDVA at 6, 12, and 24months (all P<.10). The increase in densitometry of the mid-stromal layer, centermost 0.0 to 2.0mm annulus, at 6months was significantly associated with the decrease in maximum keratometry (K) at 6 and 12months (both P<.05). Last, the change in densitometry at 6months was significantly correlated with the decrease in specific higher-order aberrations (HOAs) (P<.05). Although the greatest and most durable post-CXL densitometry change was in the anterior layer, the degree of increased densitometry haze in the mid-stromal layer was most associated with and possibly predictive of improvement in CDVA, maximum K, and HOAs. The persistence of corneal haze at 6months, measured by increased densitometry, might be a prognostic marker for CXL effectiveness.
Published Version
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