About me
Rose Bengal Treatment for Keratoconus
Location: 77
Mentor: Dr. Noel Ziebarth
Keratoconus is a progressive degenerative corneal disease that can lead to an abnormal corneal shape and curvature if left untreated. Keratoconus is traditionally managed using a number of methods such as the use of glasses for visual rehabilitation, rigid contact lenses, and a corneal transplantation, a costly and risky procedure, if all other methods fail. A less invasive method known as corneal crosslinking (CXL) has been introduced and shown to help stabilize progressive keratoconus. It utilizes a photochemical reaction between ultraviolet-A (UVA) light and riboflavin to stiffen the cornea and halt the progression of keratoconus. The riboflavin penetrates approximately 300mm in the corneal stroma. Unfortunately, this causes limitations as this procedure is only approved to be used on eligible patients with a corneal thickness above 400mm to prevent corneal endothelium damage. This poses an issue as an estimated 25% of patients with keratoconus are ineligible for CXL treatment due to their corneal thickness. This project has identified RB-PDT as an alternate method to crosslink the cornea, transforming the standard of care by helping to stabilize keratoconus for all patients. Rose Bengal (RB) is an anionic fluorescein dye commonly used for diagnosing epithelial disorders. It has demonstrated strong antimicrobial effects for many keratitis-causing organisms due to its quantum efficiency for O2 production. O2 plays an important role as a catalyst in the CXL reaction, supporting its possibility as a promising alternative to UVA light and riboflavin to treat keratoconus.
