Excimer Laser Phototherapeutic Keratectomy for Experimental Fungal Keratitis

ABSTRACT

Photoablation with 193-nm excimer laser was performed on the corneal infiltration after induction of experimental Candida albicans keratitis and Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis in rabbits in order to evaluate the therapeutic effect of excimer laser. The excimer laser eradicated the corneal infiltration in all eight eyes of the C, albicans group. In the A, fumigatus group, two corneas were perforated during treatment and one cornea left the fungal hyphae in the deep corneal stroma after treatment. Though it cannot remove the hyphae completely in the deeply invaded fungal keratitis because of corneal perforation during treatment, excimer laser photoablation may be an effective technique to eradicate early, localized, superficial fungal keratitis.