Corneal collagen crosslinking imperative in paediatric keratoconus
Performing in certain cases at presentation is better than waiting for progression
Findings from studies investigating the efficacy and safety of corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) for keratoconus in paediatric-age patients and developmentally delayed adults and the consequences of leaving their ocular disease untreated provide a solid evidence base for offering CXL to these populations, said Ken K. Nischal, MD.
“In the United States, CXL is only approved for the treatment of progressive keratoconus in patients aged 14–65 years, and so it may not be offered to younger children even if indicated,” said Dr Nischal, professor of ophthalmology and Chief, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
“My take on this issue is that technology should be for those who cannot advocate for themselves or who are the most vulnerable. Those individuals are the children and developmentally delayed adults.
In fact, there is mounting evidence that CXL should be offered to children at presentation rather than waiting for progression.”
Related: Keys to assessing true crosslinking outcomes
Addressing the aggressive natural history
Multiple published studies demonstrate that keratoconus progresses at a rate that is much faster in children than in adults and that CXL arrests disease progression in paediatric patients, said Dr Nischal.
Discussing some of these papers, he cited a study by Chatzis and Hafezi that reported a progression rate of 88% after 1 year of follow-up in a series of 59 eyes of 42 children awaiting CXL for keratoconus.1
Another study by Leon-Mesplie et al. showed that children who did not have CXL for keratoconus had a sevenfold increased risk of requiring a keratoplasty compared to adults.2
“If you don’t want to do CXL in a child, you certainly do not want to have to perform penetrating keratoplasty considering the extra problems that it brings in terms of operative and postoperative issues,” Dr Nischal said.
Related: Traversing the CXL pathway: Where do we go from here?
Other papers in the peer-reviewed literature show the safety and benefit of CXL for keratoconus in paediatric patients.
In what is the largest published study to date, Padmanabhan et al. analyzed data from 194 eyes of 153 children aged 8–18 years that underwent CXL for documented progressive keratoconus.3
Of the 194 eyes, 142 had CXL using the standard Dresden protocol and 52 were treated using hypoosmolar riboflavin.
The CXL was associated with keratometric flattening and stabilisation of pachymetry during follow-up extending to 6.7 years. Of the total cohort, 59 eyes were followed for longer than 4 years, and reversal of keratometric flattening occurred in 14 (24%) of those eyes.
“Interestingly, however, the flattening did not correlate with significant changes in vision or corneal pachymetry,” Dr Nischal said.
Related: Towards a customised treatment of patients with keratoconic eyes
Findings from a study by Mazzotta et al. suggest that regression after CXLmay be more likely in patients with severe allergy who are eye rubbers.4
These investigators reported outcomes for 62 eyes of 47 patients aged 8–18 years who underwent CXL and represents the report with the longest post CXL follow-up for a paediatric population.
The outcomes were stable at 10 years in 80% of eyes. A 2 D increase in mean keratometry occurred in four eyes of two patients who had severe ocular allergy and were eye rubbers, but stability was achieved after repeat CXL. No other patients in the series needed a repeat treatment because of CXL failure.
Two papers have reported on performing CXL for keratoconus in developmentally delayed patients.5,6
“These individuals, who often have Down syndrome, already have challenges. Not performing CXL and therefore leaving them to possibly develop hydrops from progressive corneal thinning and lose vision makes their lives and the lives of their families much worse,” Dr Nischal said.
Related: Doing justice to corneal irregularities
The barriers and the solutions
Reluctance to perform CXL in children and developmentally delayed adults may be partly due to concern that they will not remain still during a procedure performed using local anaesthesia.
In addition, children and developmentally delayed adults may not comply with instructions to avoid eye rubbing that not only increases the risk of regression over time but also the chance for infection following the procedure.
To overcome these potential problems, Dr Nischal said that he performs CXL in most paediatric patients and developmentally delayed adults under general anaesthesia with a regimen that will result in complete paralysis.
“If there is not complete paralysis, the eye may roll up during the UV light application, leaving me grabbing for forceps to try to hold the eye in place,” he explained.
Related: Facing challenge of corneal infection management in operated eyes
Dr Nischal said he uses integrated intraoperative OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec) to assess adequacy of the riboflavin soak. An OCT scan prior to the soak allows for baseline evaluation and after the soak there is a visible change in reflectivity on the OCT.
The OCT is also used after UV exposure: “If I see a clear interface after the UV light application, I know I am going to get a good result, but I do not yet have enough follow-up to know what the outcome is in cases where I cannot see the interface,” Dr Nischal stated.
To protect the eye in the early post-treatment period while the epithelial defect is healing, he usually places a temporary central tarsorrhaphy for 2 days and prescribes topical moxifloxacin six times daily to be applied at the medial canthus.
Related: Budding technology could be an OCT analysis game-changer
“So far, we have not had any cases of infection, and the children seem comfortable with the tarsorrhaphy in place,” Dr Nischal said.
“Interestingly, patients who had CXL elsewhere with placement of a bandage contact lens reported much less pain and discomfort with their second eye procedure using tarsorrhaphy.
One case involved a developmentally delayed patient whose parents were very frightened about the child tolerating the second eye procedure. The parents reported that, with the lids sutured shut, the child did not touch the eye and was very relaxed.”
In addition, Dr Nischal is aggressive with treatment for allergic conjunctivitis-related inflammation both pre- and post-CXL as a strategy to mitigate eye rubbing. Patients are also referred for behavioural therapy to reduce eye rubbing.
Related: 7 pediatric eye myths parents should stop believing
Positive experience
Between July 2018 and September 2019, Dr Nischal performed CXL in 18 eyes of paediatric patients.
All cases were done using the standard Dresden protocol.
Sixteen cases were done using general anaesthesia, of which 14 had a temporary tarsorrhaphy placed and two had a bandage contact lens.
Eight of the cases involving temporary tarsorrhaphy were in developmentally delayed or non-verbal children. Topical anaesthesia with post-CXL placement of a bandage contact lens was used in two eyes of healthy teenagers aged 15 years.
Read more by Cheryl Guttman Krader, BS, Pharm
Ken K. Nischal MD
E: Nischalkk@upmc.edu
This article is based on a presentation given by Dr. Nischal at the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2019 meeting in San Francisco, California, USA. Dr. Nischal receives honorarium from Carl Zeiss Meditec, but has no other relevant financial interests to report.
References:
1. Chatzis N, Hafezi F. Progression of keratoconus and efficacy of pediatric corneal collagen crosslinking in children and adolescents. J Refract Surg. 2012;28:753-758.
2. Leoni-Mesplie S, Mortemousque B, Touboul D, et al. Scalability and severity of keratoconus in children. Am J Ophthalmol. 2012;154:56-62.
3. Padmanabhan P, Rachapalle Reddi S, Rajagopal R, et al. Corneal colleagen cross-linking for keratoconus in pediatric patients: log-term results. Cornea. 2017;36:138-143.
4. Mazzotta C, Traversi C, Baiocchi S, et al. Corneal collagen crosslinking with riboflavin and ultraviolet a light for pediatric keratoconus: ten-year results. Cornea. 2018;37:560-566.
5. Koppen C, Leysen I. Riboflavin/UVA cross-linking for keratoconus in Down syndrome. J Refract Surg. 2010;26:623-624.
6. Sabti S, Tappeiner C, Frueh BE. Corneal
crosslinking in a 4-year-old child with keratoconus and down syndrome. Cornea. 2015;34:1157-1160.
7. Lalgudi VG, Nischal KK. Pediatric corneal collagen crosslinking for keratoconus: not an experimental procedure. J AAPOS. 2019;23:63-65.
