Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the confocal microscopy findings after cross-linking procedure.
Methods: :
9 eyes of 9 patients with keratoconus underwent cross-linking treatment; a central scan of the total corneal thickness was taken with the confocal microscope (Confoscan 4, Fortune Technologies, Italy) before, 1 week and 1 month after treatment. Morphology, depth of activated keratocytes and endothelial cell density was evaluated and measured by using the NAVIS software V. 3.5.0 (NIDEK, Multi-Instrument Diagnostic System, Japan).
Results: :
Mean depth of activated keratocytes at 1 week after treatment was 275.1 ± 85.9 µm that represents 64.6 % (range 35.5 to 96.5 %) of the stroma. Mean depth of activated keratocytes at 1 month after was 324.9 ± 66.0 µm that represents 77.0 % (range 51.1 to 95.3 %) of the stroma. Hyper-reflective linear structures was found at the depth stroma (261.1 ± 50.0 µm) at 1 month after treatment. Endothelial cell count before treatment was 3418.3 ± 474.1 mm2, at 1 week was 3405.9 ± 526.1 mm2 and at 1 month was 3283.9 ± 543.7 mm2.
Conclusions: :
Depth of activated keratocytes increases at 1 month after treatment an goes to 70% of the total corneal stroma. High keratocyte activity shows at 1 week and 1 month after cross-link treatment.
Keywords: keratoconus • cornea: stroma and keratocytes • cornea: endothelium