ABSTRACT
Functional results of collagen UV cross-linking in keratoconus management are evaluated. 77 patients (87 eyes) with keratoconus stage I-II (Amsler classification) were under observation. All the patients received UV radiation (370 3m, 3mW/sm2) for 30 min with simultaneous instillation of "Dextralink" solution. Besides routine ophthalmological examination confocal biomicroscopy (HRT III, Heidelberg, Germany) and optical coherent tomography (Vizante-OCT, Carl Zeis, Germany) were performed before, in 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, 2 and 3 years after the procedure. By the 6th month the best corrected visual acuity showed improvement from 0.41 + 0.12 (M+m) till 0.52 + 0.01. Corneal refractive power decreased to 49.41 + 1.69 dpt by the last examination. UV cross-linking is a minimally invasive and effective option for management of keratoconus at the early stages, that let achieve biomechanical stabilization of the cornea and reduce progression rate.
