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Corneal allogenic intrastromal ring segments (CAIRS) are semicircular pieces of donor corneal stroma, which may be surgically implanted to flatten keratoconic corneas. These segments can be trimmed to different thicknesses; whereas thicker segments confer greater flattening, their bulk renders them more technically challenging to insert. Consequently, thinner segments are often preferred, especially for starting surgeons. Here, we describe a technique for transiently thinning CAIRS to facilitate easy insertion, thereby permitting the use of thicker segments to achieve the maximal flattening effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 40-year-old woman was referred for the assessment of bilateral corneal opacities with gradual visual decline over the course of the past decade. Her past ocular history is significant for bilateral amblyopia and strabismus surgery in both eyes before age 5. The patient's parents were told by her childhood ophthalmologist that she had a hereditary disorder. Her systemic review was significant for anal fissure and human leukocyte antigen-B27 ankylosing spondylitis. Her past ocular record revealed corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/80 in both eyes in 2018 with central corneal haze. On presentation, her uncorrected distance visual acuity was 20/150 in both eyes. Her CDVA was 20/100 in both eyes with manifest refraction of +0.50 -2.50 x 075 in the right eye and +5.00 -2.25 x 094 in the left eye. Corneal topography reflected keratometry of 35.75/38.97 x 171 in the right eye and 36.45/38.35 x 32 in the left eye. Central corneal thickness was 669 [mu]m and 652 [mu]m, respectively. External slitlamp examination revealed a central faint stromal opacity inferior to the visual axis in the right eye and a central faint stromal opacity in the left eye, and both were associated with steep posterior curvature of the cornea (Figure 1). Further findings included 0.5 corneal haze with mild guttata, normal irides, and clear lenses in both eyes. Intraocular pressure was 23 mm Hg and 26 mm Hg, respectively (Figure 2, Supplemental Figures 1 and 2, http://links.lww.com/JRS/A543). Gonioscopy was unremarkable. Dilated fundus examination revealed a 0.15 cup-to-disc ratio bilaterally, but otherwise no pertinent vitreoretinal pathologies were noted. What is the most likely diagnosis? What medical or surgical interventions would you recommend for this patient? What is the prognosis for this patient? Chicago, Illinois [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the changes in refractive outcomes and corneal aberrations in central and paracentral keratoconus after selective transepithelial topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy combined with accelerated corneal crosslinking (STARE-X). Settings: Centro Polispecialistico Mediterraneo, Siena Crosslinking Center, and University of Messina, Italy. Design: Prospective, interventional, multicentric study. Methods: Patients were subdivided into 2 groups: Group 1 with cone located within the central 3 mm zone (50 eyes) and Group 2 (50 eyes) with cone located outside the central 3 mm zone. Follow-up was 2 years at least for all eyes. Outcome parameters included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). Corneal tomography and corneal wavefront aberrations were assessed and compared before and 2 years after the treatment. Results: 100 eyes of 100 patients underwent STARE-X protocol. At 2 years, UDVA and CDVA improved, and sphere, cylinder, and Kmax reduced after treatment in both groups (P <.001, respectively). Moreover, a statistically significant reduction was observed of total higher-order aberrations root main square (RMS), coma RMS, and spherical aberration RMS in both groups (P <.001, respectively). However, CDVA improved more in Group 1 than in Group 2 (P <.02). Conclusions: The STARE-X protocol demonstrated effective results in halting keratoconus progression and improving corneal regularity with a safe and effective profile. STARE-X improved both visual acuity and corneal aberration at 2 years. Longer follow-up studies are warranted to observe further long-term CXL flattening effect on the cone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]