ABSTRACT
To evaluate the use of Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem [PROSE] scleral lens treatment as an alternative to keratectomy in patients with symptomatic Salzmann's nodular degeneration [SND]. A retrospective chart review from July 2009 to May 2013 identified 9 SND patients who were referred for PROSE evaluation. Patients who did not complete PROSE fitting or had other corneal comorbidities affecting vision were excluded from the study, and 7 eyes of 4 patients were included. Three patients were pseudophakic and 1 patient was phakic, and the lens status of our cohort did not change during the study. Visual acuity improved from 0.19 +/- 0.084 logMAR [approximately 20/31] pre PROSE to 0.028 +/- 0.047 logMAR [approximately 20/21] post PROSE in patients with Salzmann's nodular degeneration [p = 0.002] OSDI scores improved from 46.9 +/- 26.6 pre PROSE to 21.5 +/- 18.7 post PROSE in the same cohort [p = 0.02]. The results of this study show that PROSE can provide improvements in visual acuity and function in patients with Salzmann's nodular degeneration and offer an alternative to superficial keratectomy