Therapeutic decision in anterior scleritis: our experience at a tertiary care eye center.

PURPOSE: To determine the characteristics of patients with anterior scleritis at a tertiary care eye center and determine which factors in these patients were associated with the need for systemic immunosuppressive therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study. Fifty patients with anterior scleritis presenting to the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital from August 1996 to August 2001 were reviewed and divided into two groups. The control group included 35 patients who responded to oral non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and/or systemic steroids. The study group consisted of 15 patients who required additional treatment with systemic immunosuppressive agents. The influence of demographics, type of scleritis, bilateral disease, and ocular complications were analyzed. The presence of a systemic autoimmune disease, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), medications, and complications related to treatment were recorded. The statistical significance was evaluated by Student's t test for independence samples and Fisher's exact test; P<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 19.3 +/- 24.9 months, an associated systemic autoimmune disease was present in 17 patients (34%). Scleritis was the first manifestation of the systemic disease in 10 out of 17 patients (59%). Patients who required immunosuppressive treatment had more frequent ocular complications (80% versus 26%, P=0.0004) than did patients who responded to oral NSAIDs and/or steroids. CONCLUSIONS: Scleritis may be the sign of presentation of a systemic autoimmune disease. The presence of ocular complications, in particular corneal involvement, may be associated with the need for systemic immunosuppressive therapy.

Clear corneal wound infection after phacoemulsification.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clear corneal wound infections after phacoemulsification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 7 patients with clear corneal wound infections after phacoemulsification were reviewed retrospectively. Data that were reviewed included patient age, sex, onset of symptoms and signs after surgery, possible risk factors for infection, concomitant ocular disease, use of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics and steroids, culture and antibiotic sensitivity results, treatment regimen, and outcome. RESULTS: The median onset of signs and symptoms after surgery was 10 days (range, 4-60 days). Corneal cultures yielded methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in 2 cases, Streptococcus pneumoniae in 1 case, and Staphylococcus epidermidis in 1 case. Cultures yielded no microorganisms for 1 patient. Corneal cultures were not obtained in 2 patients. In 3 of the 4 culture-positive cases, the isolated microorganisms were resistant to the perioperative prophylactic antibiotics (fluoroquinolones and tobramycin) that were used. No possible risk factors were noted except use of topical steroids 4 times a day without antibiotic coverage for iritis before referral in one of our patients. Six of these 7 wound infections healed with topical antibiotic therapy. One of the patients required lamellar keratectomy and conjunctival flap for complete healing. In 4 of the 7 cases, best-corrected visual acuity at the last follow-up visit was better than 20/40. CONCLUSIONS: Clear corneal wound infection after phacoemulsification is a serious complication of cataract surgery. Infections are caused by gram-positive organisms sensitive to bacitracin and the combination of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole but often resistant to aminoglycosides and/or fluoroquinolones.

Tarsorrhaphy: clinical experience from a cornea practice.

PURPOSE: To evaluate indications, success rate, and complications of tarsorrhaphy in a cohort of cornea and external disease patients. METHODS: In this study, charts of patients who underwent tarsorrhaphies from January 1, 1995, to September 30, 2000, were retrospectively evaluated. Information reviewed included patient age and sex, indication for tarsorrhaphy, duration of signs and symptoms before tarsorrhaphy, time to epithelial healing after tarsorrhaphy, type of tarsorrhaphy (temporary/permanent), complications, timing of tarsorrhaphy removal, recurrence of signs and symptoms after complete or partial opening of the tarsorrhaphy, number of tarsorrhaphies needed to be replaced or extended, and duration of follow up. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients were included in this study. Indications for a tarsorrhaphy were persistent epithelial defects or other ocular surface problems associated with neurotrophic ulcers, penetrating keratoplasty (PK), postinfection, exposure keratopathy, surgery other than PK, dry eye syndrome, radiation keratopathy, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, entropion, and application of tissue adhesive. The epithelial defects in 70 (90.9%) of the 77 eyes completely resolved. Overall, the mean duration of signs and symptoms before tarsorrhaphy was 89.8 +/- 27.8 days, and time-to-healing after tarsorrhaphy was 18.0 +/- 2.0 days. The difference between the duration of the signs and symptoms before tarsorrhaphy and time-to-healing after tarsorrhaphy was statistically significant ( p = 0.01). Of the 77 tarsorrhaphies, 24 (31.2%) were temporary and 53 (68.8%) were permanent. Complications after tarsorrhaphy included trichiasis, adhesion between upper and lower lids after tarsorrhaphy lysis, premature opening of the temporary tarsorrhaphy, pyogenic granuloma, and keloid formation of the eyelid. CONCLUSION: Tarsorrhaphy is a very effective and safe procedure in the management of nonhealing epithelial defects and other surface problems, with a 90.9% success rate and only minor complications.

Unilateral corneal lattice dystrophy.

PURPOSE: To report three cases of seemingly unilateral dystrophy indistinguishable from type I classic lattice corneal dystrophy. METHODS: Case study of three patients. Three patients, a 31-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, and a 41-year-old man had multiple lattice lesions in one eye and an apparently healthy fellow eye. Two of these patients underwent penetrating keratoplasty because of poor vision. RESULTS: Histopathologic examination of the excised corneal button of patient 2 showed amyloid deposits consistent with lattice. In the third patient, lattice lesions were noted in the other eye nearly 13 years after he was first examined. CONCLUSIONS: Lattice corneal dystrophy is rarely unilateral. Lattice, even in unilateral cases, may cause significant vision loss to warrant penetrating keratoplasty. Lattice lesions may develop in the fellow eye many years later. This possibility should be explained to all patients with apparently unilateral lattice corneal dystrophy.

Chalazion as a cause of decreased vision after LASIK.

PURPOSE: To describe a post-LASIK patient with decreased vision and a chalazion of the upper eyelid. METHODS: A 46-year-old man was referred with decreased vision of 1 month's duration. He underwent bilateral uncomplicated LASIK for myopic astigmatism 1.5 years and bilateral enhancements 1 year previously. He had 20/20 uncorrected vision in both eyes after those procedures. He developed a chalazion of his right central upper eyelid 1 month prior with simultaneous blurring of vision. On our examination, his uncorrected visual acuity was 20/60 in the right eye. Complete eye examination including refraction, computerized corneal topography, and pachymetry were done. RESULTS: With a manifest refraction of +1.25 +0.50x80, the visual acuity in the right eye improved to 20/20. Computerized corneal topography revealed circular central corneal flattening in both eyes, much greater in the right eye than the left eye. The location of the chalazion with the right eye closed corresponded to the area of central corneal flattening. The central power from the corneal topography was 39.4 D OD and 40.8 D OS. He was diagnosed as having acquired hyperopia associated with chalazion-induced central corneal flattening of the right eye. Chalazion-induced hyperopic change on topography disappeared, and his uncorrected vision improved to 20/20 in the left eye as the chalazion resolved completely. CONCLUSION: In post-LASIK patients with decreased vision and topography changes late after surgery, periocular masses should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Decreased corneal thickness and rigidity after LASIK might be a predisposing factor to external compression-induced curvature changes.

The effect of state legislation on eye donation.

PURPOSE: Pennsylvania Act 102 implemented in March 1995 required all acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania to routinely refer all deaths to the Organ Procurement Organization for determination of suitability for organ/tissue donation. This study analyzed the effect of the law on eye donation. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the total number of referrals and the actual number of eye donations from 62 hospitals in Pennsylvania to the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley was performed for the years 1993 to 1998. Information gathered included donor's age, gender, race, cause of death, referring institution, and result of referral. RESULTS: From 1993 to 1998, the total numbers of referrals were 988, 1,647, 8,101, 21,123, 21,783, and 22,987, and the numbers of donors were 570, 574, 660, 644, 594, and 568, respectively. The increase in the number of donors after implementation of the law was not commensurate with the number of referrals. This was caused by a disproportionate increase in the number of referrals older than 70 years of age (from a mean of 33% to 52%), which exceeded the donor age limit of 69 years, and also to a lower family consent rate (from a mean of 48% to 24%). CONCLUSIONS: Well-designed state legislation with proper implementation greatly increased hospital referrals for eye donation. However, there was only a small increase in the number of eye donors because many of the referrals were beyond the acceptable upper age limit for eye donation. A small increase in the donor age limit would increase the number of eye donations without having to expand the potential donor pool. Education of the public may help to improve the family consent rate.

Binocular vision recovery in bilateral keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To determine the benefit of bilateral penetrating keratoplasty with regard to binocular vision. METHODS: We compared patients who underwent corneal transplantation bilaterally with patients who had successful corneal transplantation in one eye and corneal disease in the other eye. Specifically, changes in fusion, stereopsis, and binocular vision function were analyzed. A questionnaire regarding performance of daily tasks was given. RESULTS: Patients with bilateral keratoplasty performed better in all the analyzed functions. Fusion was achieved by 81.25% in the unilateral group versus 100% in the bilateral group (p = 0.15). Stereopsis was present more in the bilateral group (100% vs. 62.5%, p = 0.008) and the quantity of stereopsis was significantly better in the bilateral group (121 seconds of arc vs. 1,284 seconds of arc, p = 0.014). 88.8% of the patients subjectively improved in daily activities after second eye surgery. CONCLUSION: There are objective and subjective improvements after bilateral penetrating keratoplasty.

Infectious crystalline keratopathy in an immunosuppressed patient.

PURPOSE: To report a case of infectious crystalline keratopathy (ICK) in a patient with systemic malignancy on immunosuppressive chemotherapy. The patient wore frequent replacement contact lenses on an extended wear basis. METHODS: A 51-year-old female with carcinoma of the breast and systemic metastases was referred for a corneal ulcer. She received intravenous docetaxel, trastuzumab, and systemic dexamethasone. She wore frequent replacement Acuvue lenses on an extended wear basis. Her visual acuity was 20/200 in the right eye and 20/400 in the left eye. The right eye examination revealed diffuse superficial punctate keratopathy. In the left eye, there was a 3.8 x 4.5 mm corneal infiltrate with projecting crystalline processes. Corneal scrapings were performed for smears and cultures. Treatment with topical fortified cefazolin and fortified tobramycin every hour around the clock was initiated. RESULTS: Culture of the corneal scrapings grew Streptococcus anginosus and Staphylococcus aureus. There was a good response to medical therapy. When last seen after 4 weeks of treatment, the infiltrate measured about 1 mm and the visual acuity was 20/40 with pinhole. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic immunosuppression may be a predisposing factor for the development of ICK. This case suggests that debilitated patients may be at risk for unusual infections and should be discouraged from overnight wear of contact lenses.

Human immunodeficiency virus p24 antigen testing in cornea donors.

PURPOSE: Testing for the p24 antigen of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may detect early HIV infection in the seronegative window; however, falsely reactive results may occur in cadaver specimens. Although neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the Eye Bank Association of America requires p24 testing of cornea donors, many tissue banks using other organs from cornea donors do perform this assay, and the FDA requires that eye banks reject corneal tissue if a reactive p24 assay is reported. We investigated the impact of p24 testing on eye banking and corneal transplantation. METHODS: Two clinical cases and records from the Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley (LEBDV) were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Two corneas from the LEBDV were transplanted before the reporting of p24 reactivity by other tissue banks. In one case, because of the young age of the recipient, the surgeon elected to replace the cornea with new tissue hours after the original transplant, and later polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was negative. In the other case, there was not enough specimen to perform Western blot or PCR confirmatory testing. The patient was followed with periodic serologic testing for HIV and has remained seronegative. To avoid such problems in the future, the LEBDV initiated testing of all donors with p24 and other nonrequired screening tests. Over a 2-month period, 22 corneas (from 11 donors) were discarded because of these tests: 4 donors had reactive p24 tests, 6 were reactive for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, and 1 had a reactive syphilis test. CONCLUSIONS: Results from p24 assays by other tissue banks may cause difficult clinical situations when the results are received after transplantation of the tissue, but the use of the p24 assay in the screening of cornea donors may result in excessive waste of donor tissue. Further guidance is needed regarding the management of positive results from this and other nonrequired screening tests.

Trends in contact lens-related corneal ulcers.

PURPOSE: To identify changes in number of contact lens-related corneal ulcers per year and the type of contact lenses involved. METHODS: Charts of 299 patients with corneal ulcers seen at the Cornea Service of Wills Eye Hospital from January 1, 1996, to June 30, 1999, were retrospectively reviewed. A corneal ulcer was defined as an infiltrate that was treated at least hourly with topical fortified antibiotics or fluoroquinolones. RESULTS: Of these 299 cases, 37 (12.4%) were related to contact lens use. Contact lens-related ulcers accounted for 10.7% of all corneal ulcers in 1996, 15.3% in 1997, 8.6% in 1998, and 18.2% in the first 6 months of 1999. The contact lenses most commonly associated with ulcers were conventional soft daily-wear contact lenses (33%). There were similar numbers of ulcers associated with extended wear (n = 16) and daily wear (n = 17) of soft contact lenses. In addition, the number of cases associated with conventional (n = 17) and disposable/frequent replacement (n = 16) lenses were similar. Corneal cultures were performed in 15 (40.5%) cases and were positive in 8. There has been a significant decrease in the number of contact lens-related ulcers treated at our institution compared with previous years (1988-1999, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The number of contact lens-related corneal ulcers in the past 4 years was significantly fewer than previous years at our institution. A similar number of ulcers were associated with conventional and disposable/frequent replacement lenses despite the commercial preponderance of the latter type of lenses.

Penetrating keratoplasty in iridocorneal endothelial syndrome.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome. METHODS: Clinical charts of patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty for ICE syndrome between 1985 and 1999 were reviewed retrospectively. Glaucoma control, best corrected visual acuity pre- and post-PK, graft clarity, graft rejection episodes, improvement in pain, and additional procedures were analyzed. RESULTS: Fourteen cases were reviewed with an average follow-up of 58 months after PK. Initial grafts failed in seven patients (50%), in six cases because of rejection, and one owing to endothelial failure without signs of rejection. Repeat PKs were performed in six patients. At final follow-up, 12 grafts were clear. Glaucoma was controlled pre- and post-PK (average intraocular pressure, 16 mmHg for both eyes). Pre-PK, eight patients were using glaucoma medicines and nine had had glaucoma surgery. At the end of the follow-up, seven patients were using glaucoma medicines; six patients required glaucoma surgery after their initial PK. At the final follow-up visit, visual acuity in three patients (21%) was 20/40 or better, it ranged from 20/50 to 20/100 in four patients (29%) and 20/200 to 20/400 in five patients (36%), and in two patients with failed grafts (14%) it was counting fingers or worse. CONCLUSION: Clear grafts were achieved in 12 cases, although six patients (43%) underwent repeat PKs. All patients had glaucoma, which was controlled before and after PK by medical treatment and surgical procedures. Favorable outcomes can be achieved in patients with ICE syndrome but may require multiple corneal and glaucoma procedures.

The role of glaucoma therapy in the need for repeat penetrating keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of medical and surgical therapy for glaucoma in patients requiring repeat penetrating keratoplasty (PK) for endothelial failure. METHODS: Retrospective review of the charts of all patients undergoing repeat PK at the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 1995. Study end-points were time to first rejection episode, number of rejection episodes, time to endothelial failure, and time to regraft. RESULTS: During the study period, 156 patients underwent repeat PK for irreversible endothelial failure. Ninety-four (60.3%) patients had a concomitant diagnosis of glaucoma. Of these 94, 27 (28.7%) underwent glaucoma surgery. The surgically treated group had a significantly higher percentage of patients with at least one rejection episode (55.6%) than those without glaucoma (32.8%; p = 0.04). Similarly, a significant difference existed in the percentage of both medically and surgically treated glaucoma patients having at least one rejection episode (50%) when compared with patients without glaucoma (32.8%; p = 0.04). Rejection episodes occurred sooner in the glaucoma patients than in the nonglaucoma group (18 months vs. 32 months; p = 0.01), irrespective of glaucoma therapy. Grafts in glaucoma patients failed 12 months earlier than those in patients without glaucoma. CONCLUSION: In a selected group of patients who required repeat PK for endothelial graft failure, a majority of patients were found to have a history of glaucoma. Among regraft patients, surgical therapy for glaucoma was found to increase the risk of rejection episodes when compared to patients without glaucoma. The patients with glaucoma were found to be at increased risk for early rejection and failure compared to patients without glaucoma.

Surgical management of ocular surface squamous neoplasms: the experience from a cornea center.

PURPOSE: To report the surgical outcomes of treatment for ocular surface squamous neoplasms. METHODS: Retrospective review of squamous neoplasms of the ocular surface managed at a cornea center over a 15-year period. Surgical treatment was divided into two methods. The procedure was identical within each group. One group of patients was treated with simple excision of the lesion. The second group of patients was treated with excision followed by focal cryotherapy to the involved limbus and/or conjunctival margin. Follow-up is reported. RESULTS: A total of 28 lesions were reviewed. Included were 20 primary tumors and 8 recurrent tumors referred following initial treatment at other centers. Histopathologic diagnoses included 1 actinic keratosis, 7 dysplasias, 18 carcinomas in situ, and 2 invasive squamous cell carcinomas. The rate of recurrence for primary tumors was 28.5% with simple excision and 7.7% for excision combined with cryotherapy (p = 0.27). The rate of recurrence for recurrent tumors was higher: 16.6% for tumors treated with excision and cryotherapy and 50% (one in two) for lesions treated with simple excision (p = 0.46). CONCLUSION: Simple excision of ocular surface squamous neoplasms appears to result in a higher recurrence rate when compared to excision with adjunctive cryotherapy. Judicious cryotherapy to the involved limbus and conjunctival margins results in recurrence rates comparable with other, more extensive cryotherapy procedures. This technique of cryotherapy has very few adverse effects on the eye.

Spectrum of fungal keratitis at Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

PURPOSE: To report the spectrum of fungal keratitis at Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 24 cases of culture-positive fungal keratitis treated from January 1991 to March 1999 at Wills Eye Hospital. Risk factors, fungal identification, antifungal treatment, and outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: The study included 24 eyes (24 patients). Fourteen patients (58.3%) were female. The mean age was 59 years (range, 19-86 years). Predisposing factors included chronic ocular surface disease (41.7%), contact lens wear (29.2%), atopic disease (16.7%), topical steroid use (16.7%), and ocular trauma (8.3%). Early identification of fungal elements was achieved by staining of corneal scrapings in 18 cases (75%). Half of the cases (12 eyes) had corneal infections caused by yeast, and the other half by filamentous fungi. Candida albicans was the most commonly isolated organism (45.8%), followed by Fusarium sp (25%). Natamycin and amphotericin B were the topical antifungals most frequently used, while systemic treatment commonly used included fluconazole, ketoconazole, or itraconazole. Six patients (25%) had penetrating keratoplasty during the acute stage of infection. After a mean follow-up of nine months, 13 eyes (54.1%) had the best corrected visual acuity 20/100 or better. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to other studies from the northern United States, we found Fusarium sp the most commonly isolated filamentous fungus. In our series, C. albicans was the most frequent cause of fungal keratitis, and a past history of ocular trauma was uncommon.

Nontraumatic corneal perforation.

PURPOSE: To study the predisposing conditions, treatments, and visual outcomes of nontraumatic corneal perforations. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of all nontraumatic corneal perforations seen between January 1992 and December 1998, with > or = 3 months of follow-up, at the Cornea Service Wills Eye Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 40 nontraumatic corneal perforations was analyzed. Sixty-two percent of the cases were female. At presentation, 35 of 40 eyes (87.5%) had best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse. The most common diseases associated with perforations were keratoconjunctivitis sicca (12 eyes, 30%), bacterial keratitis (6 eyes, 15%), exposure keratopathy (5 eyes, 12.5%), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis (4 eyes, 10%). Visual acuity improved > or = 2 Snellen lines in 3 of 8 eyes (37.5%) treated with penetrating keratoplasty, 5 of 14 eyes (35.7%) treated with tissue adhesive, and 1 of 12 eyes (8.3%) given medical treatment. After allowing for the different levels of presenting vision, treatment modality was not significantly related to final visual outcome. CONCLUSION: Keratoconjunctivitis sicca is the most common underlying disease associated with nontraumatic corneal perforation. Corneal perforations were managed successfully using tissue adhesive, medical therapy, or penetrating keratoplasty. Treatment depended on the characteristics of the perforation and on the visual potential of the eye.

Phototherapeutic keratectomy for Schnyder's crystalline corneal dystrophy.

PURPOSE: To describe the treatment of Schnyder's crystalline dystrophy (SCD) with excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). METHODS: Chart review of three patients (four eyes) with SCD treated with PTK between March 1992 and December 1998. Pre- and posttreatment visual acuity, subjective glare, photophobia, manifest refraction, ultrasound pachymetry, hyperopic shift, and biomicroscopic findings were studied. Brightness acuity testing (BAT) was evaluated in two eyes. RESULTS: Four eyes were treated during the study period. The average best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 20/175 to 20/40 under bright conditions. All patients reported subjective improvement in glare and photophobia. No visually significant recurrence was observed during the follow-up period which ranged from seven months to three years. The mean spherical equivalent refractive shift was +3.28 diopter (D). One patient developed irregular astigmatism from an eccentric ablation. No vision threatening complications were observed. CONCLUSION: PTK can be effective at improving visual symptoms in patients with SCD. It can be a useful therapeutic alternative to lamellar or penetrating keratoplasty in these patients.

Indications for and outcomes of repeat penetrating keratoplasty, 1989-1995.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the indications for and outcomes of repeat penetrating keratoplasty over a 7-year period and compare them to a similar study over the prior 6-year period at the same institution. DESIGN: Retrospective noncomparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred twenty-three consecutive repeat corneal transplants performed by one of five corneal surgeons between 1989 and 1995 were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reasons for primary and regraft failure, indications for the initial corneal graft, graft clarity, and best-corrected visual acuity were measured on each patient. RESULTS: Between 1989 and 1995, 16% (271 of 1689) of transplants performed by our cornea group were regrafts compared with 9% (165 of 1860) in the period from 1983 to 1988 (P < 0.01). The most common indications for penetrating keratoplasty before regraft were pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (27%, 61 of 223), failed graft (20%, 44 of 223), Fuchs' dystrophy (11%, 24 of 223), aphakic bullous keratopathy (9%, 21 of 223), keratoconus (8%, 17 of 223), and herpes simplex keratitis (6%, 14 of 223). Compared with the prior study period of 1983 to 1988, an increase was revealed in the incidence of failed graft (11% to 20%, P = 0.03), and a decrease was revealed in the incidence of aphakic bullous keratopathy (19% to 9%, P = 0.01). Of the 223 regrafts, 55 (25%) failed during the study period (range, 1 month to 7.5 years; mean 2.1 years). Eleven percent (6 of 55) of regraft failures occurred within 6 months, and 55% (30 of 55) failed within 18 months. Of the 150 regrafts with 2 years follow-up (mean, 3.9 years), 111 (74%) had clear grafts. A best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20 to 20/40 was achieved in 41% (46 of 111), 20/50 to 20/100 in 32% (36 of 111), 20/200 to 20/400 in 21% (23 of 111), and counting fingers to no light perception in 5% (6 of 111). CONCLUSIONS: Failed grafts are increasing as an indication for penetrating keratoplasty. Graft clarity and visual acuity results continue to be very good, supporting the use of repeat corneal transplantation.

Penetrating keratoplasty for varicella-zoster virus keratopathy.

PURPOSE: To examine and report the results of penetrating keratoplasty performed in patients with varicella-zoster virus keratopathy. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 15 patients who had penetrating keratoplasty for varicella-zoster virus keratopathy from January 1989 through December 1998 on the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital. RESULTS: Twelve patients had a preoperative diagnosis of herpes zoster ophthalmicus, and three, of varicella. Four eyes had lateral tarsorrhaphies performed in conjunction with penetrating keratoplasty. Three eyes had endothelial rejection episodes that responded well to treatment with topical steroids. One eye had a regraft 1 month after primary failure, and this second graft also failed because of recurrent neurotrophic keratopathy. Three eyes that had repeated penetrating keratoplasty for graft failure had clear grafts at the last examination. At an average follow-up time of 50 months, 13 (86.7%) grafts remained clear, and the best corrected visual acuity was 20/100 or better in eight (53.3%) eyes. Five patients had decreased visual acuity because of retinal diseases. CONCLUSION: Although varicella-zoster virus keratopathy is an uncommon indication for penetrating keratoplasty, effective visual rehabilitation can be achieved in these patients. Careful postoperative management, frequent lubrication, and lateral tarsorrhaphies to protect the corneal surface are major factors in the successful outcome of these cases.