Case Series: EDTA chelation for band keratopathy

The purpose of this study was to report a case series of visually significant calcific band keratopathy (CBK) associated with chronic uveitis and systemic hypercalcemia, which markedly decreased in severity after dipotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (K2 EDTA) chelation. The results included six eyes (five patients) with a moderate-to-severe grade of CBK who underwent K2 EDTA chelation. Of five patients, two had chronic uveitis, two had absolute glaucoma, and one had old corneal opacity. After K2 EDTA chelation therapy, the CBK lessened in severity with clearing of the central cornea and improvement in visual acuity. It was concluded that chelation of calcium with topical EDTA is a safe and effective treatment for band keratopathy. Because of the difficulty in acquiring disodium EDTA and the easy availability of K2 EDTA in medical facilities, K2 EDTA chelation is preferred over disodium (Na2) EDTA chelation. Other than easy availability, K2 is also preferred because the preparation of the final EDTA dosage is performed under relatively sterile conditions.