Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the effect of cross linking as an adjuvant therapy in refractory infectious corneal ulcers
Methods:
Anterior segment optical coherence tomography was performed in patients with confirmed infectious corneal ulcer by culture. 21 patients were included in which directed treatment after 2 weeks proved ineffective, and whose corneal ulcer thickness was greater than 400 microns. Drops of riboflavin 0.1% were administered every 5 minutes during a 15 minute period. A 9 mm beam of ultraviolet light (375 nm, 3mW/cm3) was then applied to the corneal surface for 25 minutes with the application of riboflavin drops at 5 minute intervals. Therapeutic contact lens was used afterwards plus previous antimicrobial therapy, and topical prednisolone acetate for a week.
Results:
Full epithelialization of the ulcer was achieved in 16 patients by the course of 2 weeks post therapy. 2 patients had delayed epithelialization by 4 weeks. 3 patients underwent conjunctival patch surgery due to corneal thinning.
Conclusions:
Cross linking therapy can be effective in the treatment of infectious corneal ulcers refractory or not to medical treatment.
Keywords: 484 cornea: stroma and keratocytes •
765 wound healing •
573 keratitis