Purpose: To investigate the agents of bacterial contamination of contact lenses after corneal collagen cross-linking (CCL), and to present the possible changes of ocular flora after riboflavin/ultraviolet A.
Methods: Seventy-two contact lenses of patients who underwent CCL and 41 contact lenses of patients who underwent photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) as control group were enrolled to the study. After 48 h of incubation, broth culture media was transferred to plates. Samples were accepted as positive if one or more colony-forming units were shown.
Results: There were positive cultures in 12 (16.7%) contact lenses in the CCL group and 5 (12.2%) had positive cultures in PRK group. Coagulase-negative staphlycocci (CNS) were the most frequent microorganism. Alpha hemolytic streptococci and Diphteroid spp. were the other isolated microorganisms.
Conclusions: Bacterial colonization can occur during and early after the CCL procedure in epithelial healing. To prevent corneal infections after the treatment, prophylactic antibiotics should be prescribed.
Keywords: Bacterial contamination; contact lens; corneal collagen cross-linking; keratoconus; photorefractive keratotomy.