Excimer laser-assisted phototherapeutic keratectomies combined to EDTA chelation for the treatment of calcific band keratopathy

INTRODUCTION: Calcific band keratopathy (CBK) is a relatively common chronic corneal degeneration and various forms of treatment are mentioned in the literature.CASES DESCRIPTION: Two patients (89 and 37 yo, respectively) affected by diffuse long-standing CBK in one eye and complaining of ocular pain, foreign body sensation and decreased visual acuity are reported. An ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) application on the ocular surface was performed associated with a customized no-touch transepithelial phototherapeutic corneal remodeling in one patient and a standard phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in the second patient. Corneal transparency progressively improved in both cases since the early follow-up visits and the cornea became clear 2weeks after surgery. In both cases, a significant reduction of ocular discomfort was reported.CONCLUSIONS: Combining EDTA chelation and excimer laser-assisted PTK represents an useful treatment of band keratopathy even in challenging cases and may help regularize corneal surface and improve corneal clarity.