Ricerc@Sapienza

Purpose: To use anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) to compare corneal stromal demarcation line depth after 4 treatment protocols of corneal crosslinking (CXL). Setting: Eye Clinic, Sapienza University of Rome, Terracina (Latina), Italy. Design: Prospective case series.

Corneal cross-linking (CXL) consists in the induction of a tissue biomechanical alteration, which leads to a stiffening, and strengthening of the ectatic corneal tissue. The treatment involves the use of the riboflavin (Vitamin B2) as a photoinducer, an ultraviolet light source and a photochemical reaction that creates a chemical bond between collagen fibrils. The safety of the ultraviolet light parameters depends on wavelength, irradiance and time of irradiation.