Universität zu Köln

Helm, Simon ORCID: 0009-0009-9675-0167, Wiedemann, Johanna ORCID: 0009-0000-0496-4921, Reinking, Niklas, Rosswinkel, Benjamin, Bachmann, Björn ORCID: 0000-0002-3974-7609, Cursiefen, Claus ORCID: 0000-0002-1958-411X and Schlereth, Simona ORCID: 0000-0002-7230-6434 (2025). Visual, Topographic and Aberrometric Outcomes After Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK) for Salzmann Nodular Degeneration. Medical Sciences, 13 (3). MDPI. ISSN 2076-3271

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Abstract

[Artikel-Nr. 197]Purpose: The aim of this paper is to study the visual outcomes, changes in higher order aberration (HOA) and corneal densitometry after debridement and excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) for the treatment of Salzmann nodular degeneration (SND). Methods: This monocentric study includes 69 eyes from 54 patients who underwent debridement and PTK for SND (mean follow-up time of 447.1 ± 597.7 days post-operatively). The following parameters were measured before and after PTK: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logMAR, sphere, cylinder, calculated spherical equivalent (SPHQ), mean and maximum refractive power, astigmatism, HOA, corneal density and thickness. Patients were divided into two cohorts depending on additional visual acuity limitations (VAL). Results: Mean visual acuity improvement was 0.16 ± 0.21 logMAR (p < 0.001), independent of additional VAL, and was associated with normalization of the cornea (hyperopic reduction by 2.13 ± 2.60 dpt, p < 0.001), reductions in cylinder (1.49 ± 2.44 dpt, p < 0.001) and corneal astigmatism (3.01 ± 3.39 dpt, p < 0.001). HOA was reduced by 0.77 ± 1.11 µm (p < 0.001) and corneal density by 6.08 ± 16.45 gray scale units (GSUs) in the center (p = 0.019) and by 9.32 ± 12.08 GSUs in the mid-periphery (p < 0.001). Haze occurred in 26.1% of patients (15.9% mild; 10.1% moderate). Re-PTK was necessary in 5.8%. Conclusions: PTK is a low-complication method for visual improvement in patients with SND, regardless of additional VAL, and is associated with a normalization of corneal parameters. HOA, corneal density and Kmax were reduced significantly and showed a correlation with visual acuity, implying that these objective parameters may have a good predictive value for visual acuity.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Helm, Simon UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9675-0167 UNSPECIFIED Wiedemann, Johanna UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0496-4921 UNSPECIFIED Reinking, Niklas UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Rosswinkel, Benjamin UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Bachmann, Björn UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3974-7609 UNSPECIFIED Cursiefen, Claus UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1958-411X UNSPECIFIED Schlereth, Simona UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7230-6434 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-800634
Identification Number:	10.3390/medsci13030197
Journal or Publication Title:	Medical Sciences
Volume:	13
Number:	3
Number of Pages:	15
Date:	18 September 2025
Publisher:	MDPI
ISSN:	2076-3271
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Medicine
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine > Augenheilkunde > Klinik und Poliklinik für Allgemeine Augenheilkunde Faculty of Medicine > Medizinische Statistik und Bioinformatik > Institut für Medizinische Statistik und Bioinformatik � IMSB Zentrum für Molekulare Medizin
Subjects:	Medical sciences Medicine
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language phototherapeutic keratectomy ; Salzmann nodular degeneration ; higher order aberration ; densitometry ; astigmatism English
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/80063