Jankov, Mirko R. (13003630000)Mirko R. (13003630000)JankovHafezi, Farhad (57203017009)Farhad (57203017009)HafeziBeko, Maja (26667512800)Maja (26667512800)BekoIgnjatovic, Zora (26667721500)Zora (26667721500)IgnjatovicDjurovic, Branislav (36905355700)Branislav (36905355700)DjurovicMarkovic, Vujica (56233157100)Vujica (56233157100)MarkovicSchor, Paulo (6602119864)Paulo (6602119864)Schor2025-06-122025-06-122008https://doi.org/10.1590/s0004-27492008000600009https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-67649882063&doi=10.1590%2fs0004-27492008000600009&partnerID=40&md5=eb4ae2b4c93b900059d0faf68762a502https://remedy.med.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/10749Purpose: To present early visual and keratometric results for corneal cross-linking with riboflavin and UV irradiation in patients with progressive keratoconus. Methods: Twentyfive eyes of twenty patients (15 males and 5 females) with a progressive keratoconus in the previous 6 months were followed. Unaided visual acuity (UVA), best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), spherical equivalent (SEQ), manifest cylinder, and maximal corneal curvature (max K) values were followed at 1, 3 and 6 months. All patients were submitted to corneal cross-linking using riboflavin (vitamin B2) as the photosensitizer and ultraviolet light (UV, wavelength 370 nm). Epithelium was removed with 20% alcohol, cornea was soaked with vitamin B2 for 15 min, and then irradiated with UV light for 30 min, after which a bandage contact lens (BCL) was placed. Results: UVA increased after one month (from 0.15 ± 0.15 to 0.23 ± 0.20), and went on increasing at 3 and 6 months, reaching statistical significance (p=0.025 e p=0.037, respectively). BSCVA increased from 0.41 ± 0.27 to 0.49 ± 0.29 at month six, without reaching statistical signifi-cance at any time point. Progression of keratoconus stopped in all patients, in contrast with progression in all of them in the six-month period prior to the surgery. Max K decreased by more than 2 D (from 53.02 ± 8.42 to 50.88 ± 6.05 D), SEQ less that 1 D (from -3.27 ± 4.08 to -2.68 ± 3.02 D), while refractive cylinder decreased less than 0.5 D (from -2.29 ± 1.77 to -1.86 ± 0.92 D), without reaching a statistically significant difference. None of the eyes lost any line of BSCVA, 12 maintained the preoperative BSCVA, 7 gained one line, 5 gained two lines, and 1 patient gained three lines of BSCVA. Conclusions: Corneal cross-linking with riboflavin and UV light seems to be a safe (no loss of BSCVA) and effective (anatomical and optical properties maintained) procedure, which has shown to stop the progression of the keratoconus: a reduction, although not statistically significant, of the corneal curvature, spherical equivalent and refractive cylinder took place in patients where previous progression of keratoconus had been described.Collagen/radiation effectsCross-linking reagentsKeratoconus/therapyPhototherapyRiboflavin/therapeutic useUltraviolet raysUltraviolet therapy