Purpose: To report the long-term outcome of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for progressive keratoconus in pediatric patients.
Methods: "Epithelium-off" CXL was performed in pediatric eyes with progressive keratoconus. Spectacle-corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), retinoscopy, topography, and tomography were documented preoperatively and postoperatively at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and annually thereafter.
Results: A total of 377 eyes of 336 pediatric patients aged 8 to 18 years with progressive keratoconus underwent CXL. Of these, 194 eyes had a follow-up beyond 2 years and up to 6.7 years. At last follow-up, there was significant improvement in mean CDVA from 0.33 ± 0.22 to 0.27 ± 0.19 logMAR (P ≤ 0.0001), reduction in mean topographic astigmatism from 7.22 ± 3.55 to 6.13 ± 3.28 D (P = 0.0001), mean flattening of 1.20 ± 3.55 diopters in maximum keratometry (Kmax) (P = 0.0002), and mean corneal thinning of 31.1 ± 36.0 μm (P < 0.0001) after CXL. The mean change in Kmax was most significant in moderately advanced keratoconus (average keratometry 48-53 diopters). Central cones showed more corneal flattening than peripheral cones. Stabilization or flattening of Kmax was seen in 85% of eyes at 2 years and in 76% after 4 years. Stabilization or improvement of CDVA was seen in 80.1% of eyes at 2 years and in 69.1% after 4 years.
Conclusions: CXL remains effective in stabilizing keratoconus for longer than 2 years in a majority of pediatric eyes. Flattening of Kmax was greater in moderately advanced keratoconus and central cones. Long-term follow-up beyond 4 years, however, revealed that a few eyes showed features suggestive of reversal of the effect of CXL.