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Corneal Cross Linking in Pediatric Keratoconus

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Controversies in the Management of Keratoconus

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Abstract

Keratoconus in pediatric patients is in most cases underdiagnosed when compared to adults. This probably is due to the acceptable visual function that early stages of keratoconus permit, which does not influence activities of daily life; a condition not evident neither by the patient nor by the patients’ environment (parents, guardians, teachers etc). The major concern of keratoconus in this age group comprises of the accelerated progression the disease may demonstrate (corneal tissue more biomechanically vulnerable in young patients), with these patients having a sevenfold higher risk of requiring corneal grafting in the future. The introduction of corneal collagen cross linking (CXL) in clinical practice more than a decade ago, changed the management of keratoconus. This treatment approach has decreased the need for corneal transplantations and in some cases improves visual function due to the corneal flattening and surface regularization it achieves. Thereby early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is paramount especially in pediatric patients, while the current literature supports the efficacy of CXL in halting or delaying keratoconus progression in pediatric patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Eye Institute of West Florida, Largo, FL, USA

    Vasilios F. Diakonis

  2. An-Najah National University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, West Bank, Palestine

    Mohammad Shehadeh

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  1. Vasilios F. Diakonis
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  2. Mohammad Shehadeh
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Director of IVISION, Refractive Surgery and Keratoconus Treatment Center, Haifa, Israel

    Adel Barbara

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Diakonis, V.F., Shehadeh, M. (2019). Corneal Cross Linking in Pediatric Keratoconus. In: Barbara, A. (eds) Controversies in the Management of Keratoconus . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98032-4_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98032-4_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98031-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98032-4

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