Comparison of Accelerated and Standard Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking Treatments in Experimental Fungal Keratitis for Aspergillus fumigatus

Introduction. To compare accelerated and standard corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) treatments in experimental Aspergillus keratitis models. Methods. Twenty-six New Zealand rabbits were divided into two groups: a 1% voriconazole combined with standard CXL group, and a 1% voriconazole combined with accelerated CXL group. The ulcer area, corneal opacity, and corneal neovascularization score were measured via slit-lamp imaging, and the corneal and corneal epithelial thickness and ulcer depth were measured via anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). The duration of the hyphae was observed via in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), and the cornea was taken for pathological examination after modeling and at the end of the study to determine the hyphae and corneal repair. The observation times were as follows: at successful modeling (day 0) and at 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the intervention. Results. The area and depth of the ulcer decreased in both groups after CXL (all P