Еvaluate the Effectiveness of Accelerated Collagen Crosslinking in the Treatment of Corneal Endothelial Decompensation

The article discusses the effectiveness of accelerated collagen crosslinking in the treatment of patients with corneal diseases, a common basic pathogenetic link of which is endothelial corneal decompensation. This method was used to treat patients with bullous keratopathy and endothelial dystrophy of Fuchs’ cornea with a long postoperative follow-up. In connection with the controversial results of researchers, reflecting the positive dynamics of the postoperative period, the question of the expediency of accelerated collagen cross-linking in patients with this pathology as a monotherapy is discussed.

The study included 25 patients (26 eyes) with mean age 69.10 ± 10.61 years (40 to 82 years). There was Fuchs corneal endothelial dystrophy in 16 patients (17 eyes), in 9 patients (10 eyes) — stage II, in 7 patients (7 eyes) — stage III. Bullous keratopathy was present in 9 patients (9 eyes). All patients underwent treatment according to the method of accelerated collagen corneal crosslinking. In patients with bullous keratopathy (9 eyes), the data on the central thickness of the cornea and the maximum corrected visual acuity did not differ from the initial data at any of the postoperative visits, and did not differ from each other (p > 0.83). On the contrary, in some patients the dystrophic process progressed in the form of the appearance of fibrotic changes in the stroma of the cornea. Corneal transplantation was recommended to all patients under observation after treatment at different periods of observation. In patients with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, a significant difference in the maximum corrected visual acuity from the initial data was observed only 6 months after surgery.

The expediency of accelerated collagen cross-linking in the treatment of patients with corneal diseases accompanied by endothelial decompensation as monotherapy is very doubtful. The study of combined surgical methods for treating this complex corneal pathology using cross-linking as an auxiliary method seems promising. 

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