http://www.eyeworld.org/article.php?sid=4361PRK in keratoconus patients
Customized photorefractive surgery improves videokeratography indices and clinical data in patients affected by grade 2 keratoconus, according to a study in the February 2008 issue of the Journal of Refractive Surgery.
Gilda Cennamo, M.D., University of Catania, Italy, and her colleagues performed a two-year follow-up study to evaluate the outcome of treatment of mild to moderate keratoconus with photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and computed videokeratography for customized ablation of the superficial corneal layers.
In the study, 18 nonconsecutive patients with bilateral keratoconus (Krumeich classification, grade 2) were examined. Both eyes were treated in seven patients and one eye in 11 patients; eight contra-lateral eyes served as controls.
The investigators performed PRK with an excimer laser using the topographically supported customized ablation program, and they evaluated changes in keratoconus topography data at six, 12 and 24 months after treatment (mean follow-up: 22.56 ± 3.97 months) and versus control eyes.
Dr. Cennamo reported that the mean keratoconus index, keratoconus severity index, keratoconus apex, keratoconus predictor index, opposite sector index, and differential sector index were significantly lower (all P< 0.0001) 24 months post-op versus baseline data.
Also, keratoconus topography parameters were significantly worse in control eyes 24 months after study onset versus baseline. The mean uncorrected visual acuity (P< 0.0001) and best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA, P< 0.05) were significantly increased 24 months post-op
