Quality of life for keratoconus patients may be improved with rapid treatment, according to a study.
A prospective, nonrandomized trial examined 32 patients with bilateral stage 1 keratoconus. Traditional corneal collagen cross-linking was administered to 19 patients, while 13 patients underwent cross-linking combined with topography-guided PRK. A control group comprised 39 age-matched healthy contact lens users.
A quality-of-life questionnaire was administered 1 day before treatment and 1 year postoperatively. Topical ofloxacin drops were prescribed after treatment, and all participants were followed up at 1 day, 7 days, and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.
Significant differences were detected between the keratoconus and control groups preoperatively in scores for all questionnaire items other than those pertaining to general health, peripheral vision and color vision. Postoperatively, significant differences were detected in the cross-linking and combination treatment groups in terms of scores for dependency and mental health. In the combination treatment group, significant differences were also demonstrated in scores for near activities, role limitations and driving.
“Our results and the informal comparisons with the literature suggest that [corneal collagen cross-linking], either alone or in combination with [topography-guided PRK], should be delivered as soon as possible because keratoconus deteriorates the majority of quality of life components even in its initial stages,” the study authors said.