Abstract

JARENO OCHOA, Madelyn et al. Changes in the cell structure of patients with keratoconus under cross-linking treatment by using confocal microscopy. Rev Cubana Oftalmol [online]. 2012, vol.25, n.2, pp.192-201. ISSN 0864-2176.

Objective: to describe the changes of the corneal cellular structure of patients with keratoconus after the cross-linking treatment. Methods: the sample was made up of 30 eyes from 30 patients, who had progressive keratoconus and were treated with corneal collagen crosslinking and confocal microscopy. The analyzed variables were the alterations in the sub-basal and sub-epithelial nervous plexuses, in the stromal nerves, the changes in keratocytes in the anterior and medium stroma, the changes of the endothelial cells, the depth of treatment as well as the presence and the progression of haze and the stromal edema. Results: there no sub-basal and sub-epithelial nervous plexuses during the first month, there were re-innervations after 6 months in 73,3 % of eyes and total recovery after 12 months. Likewise, there was no stromal nervous fibers in the first month, but after 6 months they were recovered in 96,7 % of patients and the total recovery was attained after a year. Rarefaction of the keratocytes in the anterior and the medium stroma was found during the first month in 96,7 % of cases, the onset of the cell repopulation was observed after 3 months in 83,3 % of cases and a total regeneration was evident after 1 year. The stromal edema was present in the first month in 83,3 % of cases, 6 months later was seen in 3.3 % and after 1 year, no patient was affected. Haze was identified on the first month and after 3 months in 100 % of patients. The haze grade II predominated in the first month, the grade I after 6 months and 60 % of patients presented with no haze after a year. Conclusions: the obtained results confirmed the criteria which establish that the corneal collagen crosslinking is a safe treatment method.

Keywords : keratoconus; confocal microscopy; crosslinking.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )