Corneal cross-linking (CXL)-A clinical study to evaluate CXL as a treatment in comparison with medical treatment for ulcerative keratitis in horses.

Objective: Compare CXL treatment with medical treatment alone in horses with stromal, ulcerative keratitis.

Animals Studied: 24 horses (24 eyes) with stromal, ulcerative keratitis were included.

Procedure: 12 horses were initially treated with CXL, and 12 horses were given conventional medical treatment.

Corneal cross-linking in 9 horses with ulcerative keratitis.

Background: Corneal ulcers are one of the most common eye problems in the horse and can cause varying degrees of visual impairment. Secondary infection and protease activity causing melting of the corneal stroma are always concerns in patients with corneal ulcers. Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL), induced by illumination of the corneal stroma with ultraviolet light (UVA) after instillation of riboflavin (vitamin B2) eye drops, introduces crosslinks which stabilize melting corneas, and has been used to successfully treat infectious ulcerative keratitis in human patients.