Abstract
Purpose:
To study the efficacy of corneal collagen crosslinking(CXL) in treatment of moderate fungal corneal ulcers.
Methods:
Thirty-seven cases of micro-biologically proven moderate fungal corneal ulcers were divided in two groups.Group 1 received medical therapy with CXL on day 1 of presentation. Group 2 received medical therapy alone.Medical therapy included topical Natamycin 5% drops .In cases of deep and large ulcers additional systemic therapy was given. CXL was done using riboflavin 1% with UVA 370nm. The parameters analyzed included healing time, final BCVA and perforation rate.
Results:
Mean age in group 1 was 43.5 ±17.01 years and 39.6±19.7 years in group 2, statistically insignificant(p value 0.604). Average ulcer size in-group 1 was 25.79±16.7 mm2 and 25.4±12.4 mm2 in-group 2, statistically insignificant (p value 0.915). BCVA at presentation in group 1 was 1.48 ±0.46 Log MAR and 1.56±0.435 Log MAR in group 2, statistically insignificant (p value 0.6618). 13 out of 15 cases (86.6%) in group 1 and 11/12 (91.67%) cases in group 2 healed (p value 0.56), statistically not significant .The average healing time of ulcer in group 1 was 43.08 days ±26.6 and 39.2± 19.7 days in group 2, statistically insignificant (p value 0.673). Final BCVA in group 1 was 1.3522 ±0.46 Log MAR and 1.26± 0.43 Log MAR in group 2, statistically insignificant (p value 0.434).
Conclusions:
CXL offers no advantage as an adjunctive treatment in the treatment of moderate fungal corneal ulcers.
Keywords: 479 cornea: clinical science