Keratoconus

Corneal Cross-Linking for Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a disorder of the cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye. It causes the cornea to develop an irregular bulge, and to become very steep. This causes blurry vision and makes it increasingly difficult to improve the vision with spectacles. In a significant number of patients, the disease gets progressively worse, and the vision deteriorates. Patients may require rigid contact lenses to see clearly whilst some patients may eventually require a corneal transplant.

Corneal Cross-linking is a relatively new procedure, in which Riboflavin (vitamin B2) drops are applied to the cornea, followed by the application of an ultra-violet light (UVA). This treatment is now routinely used to stabilise keratoconus. Cross-linking causes the cornea to harden and whilst it does not return the cornea to its normal shape, it may stop kerataconus and the vision from getting worse.