THE ROLE OF CORNEAL COLLAGEN CROSS-LINKING IN KERATOCONUS MANAGEMENT: BASED ON ONE-CENTER EXPERIENCE IN SULAIMANI CITY, KURDISTAN REGION-IRAQ

Abstract

Background 
 Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking has a major role in the management of keratoconus.
 Objectives 
 Determining the effectiveness of Corneal Cross-linking, using Corneal Topography and tomography, with progressive Keratoconus.
 Materials and Methods
 The study conducted at Soma Eye Center, Sulaimani City, Kurdistan-Iraq, six months from September 2018 to March 2019. A total of 34 eyes of 20 patients with progressive bilateral Keratoconus. Each patient sought written informed consent, which was accompanied by corneal cross-linking with the riboflavin topical eye drops. Patients were followed up the for 6 months and corneal topography and tomography was replicated and recorded.
 Results
 The patients ‘ age was between 12 and 35 years. There were 12 females and 8 males. The change in post procedure K1 was statistically significant at the significant level of 0.05 as the p-value was 0.029. For the post procedure K2 the same can be noticed as the p value was 0.0. In addition post procedure central corneal thickness change was remarkable, the mean change in central corneal thickness was about 10.14µ, and this change was significant at the statistical level of 0.05, because the P value was 0.00. Changes in keratometry, was more significant for female than male both for K1 and K2, mean K1 change for males was 0.05 and for females was 0.2, the same result can be viewed for the post procedure change in K2, mean change for males was 0.6 while for females was 0.8. These changes were more significant in female than in male. P values were 0.01 and 0.00 respectively.
 Conclusion
 In patients with progressive Keratoconus within six months of follow-up it has been demonstrated that corneal cross-linking is effective for inducing regression or halting progression of disease, while the effectiveness of the corneal cross-linking has been affected by patients’ gender but not by age.