Keratoconus is a non-inflammatory degenerative disease of the cornea characterized by its progressive thinning and stretching. At the beginning, an irregular curvature develops, modifying the refractive power of the cornea, producing distorted images, blurred vision at both short and long range and sensitivity to light.
The cornea tends to stretch progressively and to become thinner towards the apex. An irregular curvature of the cornea develops, as it loses its typical shape and assumes the characteristic conical shape. In time the summit of the cone becomes opaque.
If the disease is neglected, the corneal apex ulcerates resulting in perforation. Patients experience pain, abnormal tear production and muscle spasms in the eyelid. These changes in the cornea produce an alteration in the arrangement of the corneal proteins, causing micro-scars which distort images further and in some cases can reduce the passage of light.
To correct the sight it becomes necessary to change spectacles frequently. When the deformation progresses and the astigmatism becomes so irregular that spectacles no long help, the use of contact lenses becomes necessary.
When the cornea becomes too thin or there is scarring following lacerations of the corneal surface, keratoplastic surgery becomes necessary.
Corneal cross-linking is a treatment, carried out in an outpatient clinic, which uses a combination of
ultraviolet light of type A emitted by a dedicated instrument (CBM VEGA®) and vitamin B2 (RIBOFLAVIN, RICROLIN®) eye drops. This treatment enables the formation of new links between the cornealcollagen fibres (cross-linking), leading to increased biochemical rigidity of the corneal structure. The studies conducted have demonstrated that this technique is capable of reducing astigmatism and arresting the progression of keratoconus, thus avoiding a corneal transplant.
For more information regarding Corneal cross-linking or the CBM Vega Crosslinker, please follow the link below.
