Background: More than 10 years after the clinical introduction of corneal cross-linking (CXL) the indications and contraindications are still not yet defined. Fundamental for such a list is the incidence of complications.
Methods: A PubMed search for complications of corneal crosslinking published up to March 2013 was carried out.
Results: The published complication rates ranged from 1 % to 10 % depending on the stage of keratoconus. Early postoperative complications were transient stromal haze, sterile infiltrates, endothelium decompensation, delayed epithelial healing and infectious keratitis. Stromal opacity can be a delayed postoperative event.
Conclusions: Complications after corneal cross-linking treatment for keratoconus are rare but the management of these complications may need keratoplasty.