EDTA chelation for calcific band keratopathy: reult and long-term follow-up

Purpoe To determine the etiologie and management of calcific band keratopathy (CBK), and ae the reult and long-term follow-up after ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelation. Deign Retropective interventional cae erie. Method Two hundred thirty patient with clinically ignificant CBK were included from January 1996 to July 2002. Among thee, 54 patient (65 eye) underwent EDTA chelation. Outcome meaure included ymptomatic relief, viual improvement, and recurrence. The improvement or worening of the number of line of nellen bet-corrected viual acuity wa determined at 1 month and at lat follow-up viit. Reult The mot common caue of CBK were chronic corneal edema in 80 eye (28%) and idiopathic in 74 eye (25.9%). The mean follow-up time after EDTA chelation wa 36.6 month (range, 1 month to 29.6 year). Forty-four of 45 patient (98%) reported partial or complete ymptomatic relief. eventeen eye (33.3%) improved 2 or more line at 1 month and 18 eye (35.2%) at lat follow-up viit (P = .0001). In patient with an initial viual acuity between 20/50 and 20/400, 15 eye (47%) improved 2 or more line at 1 month and 16 eye (50%) at lat follow-up viit. Ten of 56 eye (17.8%) had a recurrence at a mean time of 17.7 year (range, 1 month to 26 year). The highet number of recurrence wa in three of five eye with uveiti (60%; P = .03). Concluion Chelation with EDTA i an effective treatment of CBK. Viual acuity improve mot in eye with acuity between 20/50 and 20/400. Thi treatment can be ued a the initial urgical intervention after conervative meaure fail.