title: Morphology of the Corneal Limbus Following Standard and Accelerated Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking (9 mW/cm2) for Keratoconus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the morphological features of the corneal limbus as measured by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) following standard and accelerated corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for keratoconus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with progressive keratoconus scheduled to undergo standard CXL (group 1; 31 patients, 3 mW/cm, 370 nm, 30 minutes), or accelerated CXL (group 2; 20 patients, 9 mW/cm, 370 nm, 10 minutes) in the worse eye were included in this prospective study. Thirty eyes of 30 age-matched patients served as controls (group 3). All patient eyes underwent IVCM scanning of the central cornea and the inferior limbal area at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after CXL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After CXL, epithelial regrowth was complete by day 4 in both groups 1 and 2. There were no statistically significant differences between the baseline mean central corneal wing or basal cell density, limbus-palisade middle or basal cell densities of groups 1, 2, or 3. At postoperative months 1, 3, and 6, there were no statistically significant differences in either central or limbus-palisade epithelial cell densities or diameters in keratoconic eyes that underwent standard or accelerated CXL (P > 0.05). The morphology of the limbal cells was preserved as well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The morphology of limbus structures seems to be preserved following standard and accelerated CXL in short-term follow-up, as measured using IVCM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ömür Ö
authors.initials: ÖÖ
authors.lastname: Uçakhan
authors.forename: Betül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bayraktutar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D003094:Collagen; D012256:Riboflavin