Crosslinking corneal: estudio experimental de la evolución de los cambios morfológicos y topográficos en córnea de conejo

Abstract

During the last decade, the study of corneal ectasia has increased exponentially due to the widespread use of surgical correction for refractive defects, such as myopia. All these studies focus on finding the optimal therapy for this process; but most techniques used to date offer at most temporary results, because they treat the symptoms, but not the underlying problem causing this disorder. A new procedure to increase corneal stiffness without affecting other eye structures has been recently described. It involves the use of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and ultraviolet light type A (UVA), this technique is known as crosslinking. 35 male New Zealand white rabbits were used in this study. All animals were subjected to a bilateral superficial debridement. Crosslinking technique was then applied in one eye, and animals were randomly divided into 7 groups, that were followed-up for different times. Once the follow up was completed (keratometry and topography), depending on the animal´s study group, final study and sample harvesting were performed. The results indicate that application of the crosslinking treatment is effective since it achieves a greater flattening of the radius of the anterior surface of the corneal with respect to the preoperative radius (statistical significance). Likewise, histological studies show that the crosslinking technique is safe because the treated corneas recover its normal architecture at 3 months.