Outcomes after corneal crosslinking treatment in paediatric patients with keratoconus.

Abstract

This study aims to determine the efficacy and safety of accelerated corneal crosslinking in children with keratoconus. The study enrolled 64 patients aged 16years or younger, each contributing one eye for a total of 64 eyes for analysis. Participants underwent an accelerated form of corneal cross-linking with 15min of ultraviolet A irradiation at a rate of 7 mW/cm2, resulting in a cumulative energy dose of 5.4J/cm2. The primary outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and corneal tomography at 6 and 12months post-intervention. Parameters assessed included BCVA, spherical and cylindrical refraction, keratometry (K1 and K2), maximum keratometry (Kmax) and thinnest corneal thickness (TCT). These metrics were documented preoperatively and then again at 6 and 12months postoperatively. In addition, any ocular or systemic conditions related to keratoconus were recorded for each participant. The results showed an improvement in BCVA at 12months after surgery. K1 showed a decrease at both post-operative follow-ups while K2 remained constant throughout the observation period. Kmax showed a notable decrease at the 12month postoperative follow-up. Although the TCT showed an initial decrease, it reached a stable state after 12months of crosslinking. Refractive values remained stable at all subsequent examinations. Notably, no complications such as corneal opacity, non-healing epithelial defects or corneal infections occurred during the follow-up period. The most common ocular comorbidity was allergic conjunctivitis (34.4%). The findings suggest that accelerated corneal crosslinking treatment is effective in slowing or halting the progression of keratoconus. Furthermore, there were no persistent overt complications observed at 12months after the procedure.