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Purpose: To investigate the outcomes of accelerated (A-CXL) and iontophoresis (I-CXL) corneal crosslinking in a large retrospective cohort with progressive keratoconus. Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study included consecutive patients treated by A-CXL (9 mW/5.4 J/cm2) or I-CXL with a minimal follow-up of 12 months. Visual acuity, manifest refraction, topography, specular microscopy, and corneal optical coherence tomography (OCT) were evaluated at baseline and at the last visit. Progression was defined as an increase in the maximum topographic keratometry (Kmax) of 1D. Results: 302 eyes of 241 patients with a mean age of 25.2 ± 7.5 years were included from 2012 to 2019: 231 and 71 eyes in the A-CXL and I-CXL groups, respectively. The mean follow-up was 27.2 ± 13.2 months (maximum: 85.7 months). Preoperatively, the mean Kmax was 51.8 ± 4.0D, with no differences between groups. Mean topographic measurements and spherical equivalent remained stable during the follow-up. At the last visit, CXL failure was reported in 60 eyes (19.9%): 40 (14.7%) versus 20 (28.2%) in A-CXL versus I-CXL, respectively, p = 0.005. The likelihood of progression after CXL was significantly higher following I-CXL: RR = 1.62, CI95 = [1.02 to 2.59], p = 0.04. Demarcation line presence at 1 month was positively correlated with higher efficacy of CXL, p = 0.03. No endothelial damage was reported, especially in 51 thin corneas (range = 342–399 µm). Conclusions: A-CXL seems more effective than I-CXL in stabilizing keratoconus; this is to be taken into account when a therapeutic indication is posed according to the aggressiveness of the keratoconus.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe visual outcomes and epithelial remodeling following the implantation of asymmetric intracorneal ring segments (ICRSs) of variable thickness and base width for the management of duck-type keratoconus. Methods: A prospective observational study of patients with duck-type keratoconus was conducted. All patients received one ICRS AJL PRO + implant (AJL Ophthalmic). We analyzed demographic and clinical data, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) data and Scheimpflug camera images obtained with a Placido disc MS-39 (CSO, Firenze, Italy) one and six months after surgery to determine keratometric and aberrometric outcomes and epithelial remodeling. Results: We studied 33 keratoconic eyes. ICRS implantation significantly improved both corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and uncorrected distance visual acuity at six months, as assessed with the logMAR (minimum angle of resolution) system, from 0.32 ± 0.19 to 0.12 ± 0.12 (p < 0.001) and from 0.75 ± 0.38 to 0.37 ± 0.24 (p < 0.001), respectively. Overall, 87% of implanted eyes gained ≥ 1 line of CDVA, and 3% of patients (n = 1) lost one line of CDVA; 55% of eyes attained a manifest refraction spherical equivalent between +1.50 and −1.50 D. Epithelial remodeling was greater at the wider and thicker end (+11.33 µm ± 12.95; p < 0.001 relative to the initial value) than at the narrower and thinner end (+2.24 µm ± 5.67; p = 0.01). Coma aberration was significantly reduced from 1.62 ± 0.81 µm to 0.99 ± 0.59 µm (p < 0.001). Conclusions: AJL-PRO + ICRS implantation for duck-type keratoconus improves refractive, topographic, aberrometric and visual parameters and induces progressive epithelial thickening along the segment.