DR. SWETHA UPPALA

Dr.Sudhakar Potti, Dr.Shashidhar Banigallapati

Abstract

Aim-To evaluate the efficacy of collagen cross linking (CXL) in management of microbial keratitis.

Method- Prospective randomized interventional study. 44 patients with microbiologically proven bacterial or fungal keratitis of size <6mm and involving <50% of the depth of cornea were included in the study. They were categorized into two groups (cases and controls) of 22 patients each with 19 fungal,2 bacterial and 1 mixed in each group. Cases underwent CXL with Dresden protocol within 3 days of their presentation and treated with topical antimicrobials. Controls were treated with antimicrobials alone. All patients were followed up weekly for 12 weeks and observed for signs of resolution. Result-21 patients in both the groups healed. The mean time of healing was 3 weeks in cases and 5 weeks in controls. The mean visual acuity was 0.48 logMAR in cases and 0.39 logMAR in controls. Conclusion-CXL is a promising option as an adjuvant therapy to microbial keratitis with small ulcers