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Transepithelial cross-linking may be a good choice for select patients
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PARIS — Transepithelial corneal cross-linking has lower efficacy compared with the classic epithelium-off method, but it might be a good option in select cases, such as thin corneas and pediatric patients, according to a study carried out at the University of Bordeaux.
 Antoine Robinet-Perrin |
“We analyzed the outcomes of [transepithelial] CXL in 44 eyes of 37 patients at 6 and 12 months. The mean age of the patients was 23 years, and keratoconus was progressive in all cases. Ricrolin TE (Sooft) was used as a photosensitizing agent,” Antoine Robinet-Perrin, MD, said at the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology.
At 1 year, 31.8% of keratoconus cases progressed, 18.2% of cases regressed and 50% of cases remained stable.
“Undoubtedly, the efficacy of the treatment is mitigated by the presence of the epithelium. The disease progresses in a number of patients that is certainly superior to the average we have with epithelium-off CXL, but the treatment is well tolerated, and 70% of the patients still benefit from the procedure,” Dr. Robinet-Perrin said.
“Cases who are not eligible to conventional CXL, such as patients with thin corneas and non-cooperative patients, may be good candidates for this less aggressive form of cross-linking,” he said.
Further studies are necessary to compare the results of transepithelial cross-linking with the epithelium-off procedure.
- Disclosure: Dr. Robinet-Perrin has no relevant financial disclosures.