Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41441936›Full record

ArticleInternational ophthalmology2025

Comparison of conventional corneal crosslinking with the accelerated procedure in progressive keratoconus.

Lisa Ramm, Dominik Thomas Trojan, Dierk Wittig, Frederik Raiskup, Ramin Khoramnia, Robert Herber

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in International ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Lisa Ramm *Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany. lisa.ramm@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
Dominik Thomas TrojanDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Dierk WittigAugenaerztliche Gemeinschaftspraxis MVZ, Pirna, Germany.
Frederik RaiskupDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Ramin KhoramniaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Robert Herber *Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo evaluate the long-term efficacy of corneal crosslinking using the standard protocol (S-CXL) and the accelerated protocol (A-CXL) over a period of 8 years.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study included 61 eyes from 61 patients with progressive keratoconus (KC). They were treated with either the S-CXL (3*30, N = 16) or the A-CXL (9*10, N = 45). Visual acuity and corneal parameters, including higher-order aberrations (HOAs), corneal tomography, and corneal densitometry, were recorded prior to the intervention and at four follow-up visits using Scheimpflug tomography. A linear mixed model with Bonferroni correction was used to analyze the longitudinal data.

resultsAnterior corneal curvature parameters were significantly reduced in both groups at 3 and 8 years (all p ≤ 0.019). Central and thinnest corneal thickness decreased significantly after 12 and 36 months (p < 0.001). Surface variance and vertical asymmetry indices remained unchanged postoperatively, despite the significant reduction at 8 years in the A-CXL group (p < 0.001). The greatest increase in corneal optical density was observed in both groups at 6 months in the anterior layer up to a diameter of 10 mm, which roughly normalized at 12 months. HOA coma was reduced in both groups at 36 and 96 months (all p ≤ 0.012). In contrast, only the S-CXL group showed a borderline significant improvement in visual acuity after 96 months (p = 0.049) which should be interpreted cautiously due to differences in sample size and baseline characteristics. The rate of postoperative complications was comparable in both protocols.

conclusionIn an 8-year long-term follow-up, both S-CXL and A-CXL successfully halted KC progression. Non-inferiority of the accelerated protocol was demonstrated.

Indexed as

Corneal Cross-LinkingKeratoconusAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMalePostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective StudiesTomographyVisual AcuityYoung AdultAccelerated protocolCorneal crosslinkingDensitometryHigher-order aberrationsKeratoconusTomography

Identifiers

PMID41441936
PMCPMC13038651

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.