Corneal higher-order aberration changes after accelerated cross-linking for keratoconus

AIM: To evaluate changes in corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) following epithelium-off accelerated corneal cross-linking (A-CXL) and to explore the impact on visual acuity. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, 32 eyes of 24 patients with keratoconus (KC) underwent A-CXL. Treatment was delivered at 10 mW/cm(2) for 9 min with a total dose of 5.4 J/cm(2). The following anterior corneal HOAs: total corneal HOAs, trefoil, secondary trefoil, coma, secondary coma, secondary astigmatism and spherical aberrations were analysed using the Scheimpflug-Placido Sirius (CSO, Italy) corneal topographer at baseline and 12 months following treatment. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the independent effect of HOA subtypes on changes in uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). RESULTS: At one year post CXL, UDVA and CDVA were significantly improved, -0.13 ± 0.19 LogMAR (P = 0.0005) and -0.08 ± .0.11 LogMAR (P = 0.0003), respectively. The mean preoperative trefoil, secondary trefoil, secondary coma and secondary astigmatism were 0.95 ± 0.46; µm, 0.20 ± 0.11; µm, 0.29 ± 0.19; µm and 0.42 ± 0.17 µm, respectively. At one year, the mean values decreased significantly to 0.77 ± 0.47 µm, 0.15 ± 0.11 µm, 0.25 ± 0.18 µm and 0.34 ± 0.18 µm, respectively (P < 0.05, for all). No independent relationship between any HOA changes and change in UDVA was observed. A reduction in secondary coma aberration was associated with a change in CDVA (95% CI 0.01–1.34, P = 0.048; β = 0.67). CONCLUSION: A 9-min protocol of Accelerated corneal cross-linking is an effective treatment in improving corneal HOAs at 12 months follow up, in eyes with progressive keratoconus at one year follow-up. A change in secondary coma had a statistically significant and independent effect on CDVA.