ABSTRACT
Corneal transplants have one of the highest success rates among all transplantological procedures. Corneas intended for transplantation are stored in a preservation fluid, which is then tested for bacterial and fungal infections. Among all analyses of infectious complications following corneal transplants, infections caused by bacteria or fungi are the most prominent. Surprisingly, however, apart from a few publications, there is a lack of data regarding the occurrence of viruses in donor corneas and the risk of transmitting these to their recipients. The intention of this research was therefore to determine the frequency with which human herpesvirus 1 (HHV-1), human herpesvirus 2 (HHV-2), and human adenovirus (HAdV) occur in transplanted corneal tissue, as well as in samples of preservation fluid. The study comprised 57 paired samples, with each pair consisting of a fragment of the corneal tissue remaining after its trepanation for transplantation surgery and a sample of corneal preservation fluid. Sample pairs were all tested for the presence of the DNA of three viruses (HHV-1, HHV-2, and HAdV) using real time PCR technique. Viral DNA was found in three of the tested corneas-HHV-1 DNA in one paired sample (1.8%) and adenovirus DNA in two single samples (3.5%). We postulate that virological testing of corneas for transplantation should be considered, particularly in the case of donors with increased risk factors for herpesvirus and adenovirus reactivation. J. Med. Virol. 89:732-736, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Subject(s)
Adenoviruses, Human/isolation & purification , Cornea/virology , DNA, Viral/isolation & purification , Herpesvirus 1, Human/isolation & purification , Herpesvirus 2, Human/isolation & purification , Preservation, Biological/methods , Adult , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Real-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
One of the main problems of corneal transplantation is the postoperative astigmatism. In the last period the intraoperative application of the kerato-scope, new type of needles and threads in stitching the corneal patch created a chance for solving this problem. The authors present the methods used for stitching of the corneal patch, their advantages and the defects with consideration of differences resulting from the thickness and kind of the thread, from the length and form of the needle. Basing on personal experience and data from the literature they propose the technique of the suture which they are using.
