Recurrence and Visual Outcomes of Phototherapeutic Keratectomy in Lattice Corneal Dystrophy: A Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate recurrence and visual outcomes of phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in lattice corneal dystrophy. METHODS: Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were retrospectively performed. Recurrence was defined as central biomicroscopic findings of recurrence with decreased visual acuity: loss of at least two lines or visual acuity ≤ 20/40) at any time during the follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-two virgin eyes and 10 with previous keratoplasty (20 patients; 13 women and 7 men) were studied during a mean of 4.7 ± 3.5 years (range: 11 months to 18 years). One and 5 years after the first PTK (PTK1), 1 of 32 and 12 of 32 eyes, respectively, recurred. The cumulative probabilities of recurrence were 3%, 48%, and 89% in the whole sample at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. All cases in the virgin group and 8 eyes in the previous keratoplasty group improved their visual acuity. There were no significant differences in recurrence probability between groups (log-rank test; P = .86). A second PTK (PTK2) was performed in 15 of 32 eyes, with 6 postoperative recurrences recorded. The cumulative probabilities of recurrence in the whole sample were 18%, 30%, and 44% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Visual acuity improved in 11 of 13 eyes in the virgin group and 2 of 2 eyes in the previous keratoplasty group. Recurrence probability after PTK1 and PTK2 was similar in the whole sample (log-rank test; P = .637). Persistent graft edema after PTK1 in one eye was the only complication found. CONCLUSIONS: PTK can be an effective, safe, and repeatable treatment to delay keratoplasty in symptomatic lattice corneal dystrophy. [J Refract Surg. 2022;38(1):43-49.].

Anatomical survival and visual prognosis of Boston type I keratoprosthesis in challenging cases.

PURPOSE: To describe the outcome of patients with Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis, with regard to anatomical and visual success. METHODS: Retrospective case series of patients who underwent Boston type I keratoprosthesis surgery at the Centro de Oftalmología Barraquer in Barcelona and at the University Eye Clinic in Salzburg between May 2006 and December 2011. Sixty-seven eyes were included. Anatomical success, visual acuity, and complication rate were evaluated and correlated with the initial diagnosis. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 54 years; 62 % were male and 38 % were female. Eleven patients underwent Type I Boston Kpro implantation as a primary procedure, while the other 52 patients had previous graft failure. The most frequent diagnoses were autoimmune diseases (16 eyes), severe chemical or thermal burn (12 eyes), leukoma post-infectious keratitis (seven eyes) and bullous keratopathy (six eyes). The mean follow-up time was 26 months. Retention of the prosthesis was achieved in 95 % at 1 year and 78 % at 4.5 years. Two eyes suffered extrusion of the KPro, six underwent successful exchange of the prosthesis either due to infection, necrosis or extrusion, three KPro's had to be explantated, and two eyes ended up in enucleation due to panophthalmitis. The outcome of the autoimmune cases was similar to the group with "other diagnoses" and better than those with chemical/thermal burn. The most frequent complication was development of a retroprosthetic membrane in 21 eyes (34 %). Visual acuity (LogMAR) in the chemical/thermal burn group was 2.30 preoperatively, 0.69 at 1 year, 0.52 at 2 years and 0.39 at 3 years; in the autoimmune group visual acuity was 2.3 preoperatively, 0.65 at 1 year, 0.15 at 2 years, and 1.5 at 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis is a viable option for patients with repeated graft failure, even for those with challenging diagnoses such as ocular burns and autoimmune syndromes.

Impact of clinical factors on the long-term functional and anatomic outcomes of osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis and tibial bone keratoprosthesis.

PURPOSE: To report the long-term functional and anatomic outcomes of osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis and tibial bone keratoprosthesis; to analyze the influence of clinical factors, such as surgical technique, primary diagnosis, age, and postoperative complications, on the final outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: setting: Centro de Oftalmología Barraquer, between 1974 and 2005. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred twenty-seven patients. intervention: Biological keratoprosthesis using osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis or tibial bone keratoprosthesis. main outcome measures: Functional survival with success defined as best-corrected visual acuity ≥0.05; anatomic survival with success defined as retention of the keratoprosthesis lamina. RESULTS: Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis and tibial bone keratoprosthesis have comparable anatomic survival at 5 and 10 years of follow-up, but osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis has a significantly better functional success than tibial bone keratoprosthesis at the same time periods. Among the primary diagnoses, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, chemical burn, and trachoma have generally good functional and anatomic outcomes and the least favorable prognosis is for ocular cicatricial pemphigoid. Younger patients fared better than those in older age groups. The most frequent complications were extrusion (28%), retinal detachment (16%), and uncontrolled glaucoma (11%). The glaucoma group had the best anatomic success but the worst functional results, only exceeded by the retinal detachment group in terms of functional outcome. CONCLUSION: Clinical factors, such as surgical technique, primary diagnosis, age, and postoperative complications, can affect the long-term anatomic and functional successes of biological keratoprosthesis. Knowledge about the impact of each of these factors on survival can help surgeons determine the best approach in every particular case.

Causes of intrastromal corneal ring segment explantation: clinicopathologic correlation analysis.

PURPOSE: To determine the main causes of intrastromal corneal ring segment (ICRS) explantation and the relationship with the microscopic findings on the ICRS surface. SETTING: Vissum Corporation-Instituto Oftalmológico de Alicante, Alicante, Spain. METHODS: This study evaluated ICRS that were explanted in centers in Spain from 2000 to 2008. Clinical data (reasons for explantation, date of implantation/explantation, tunnel creation technique, ICRS type) and scanning electron microscopy findings on the ICRS surface (adherent tissue-like material, cell deposits, protein) were documented. RESULTS: Intrastromal corneal ring segments were explanted from 58 eyes (47 patients). The main cause was extrusion (48.2% of explanted segments), followed by refractive failure (ie, poor refractive outcome) (37.9%), keratitis (6.8%; 3.7% culture positive), and corneal melting and perforation (6.8%). Scanning electron microscopy showed cells and cell debris on the ICRS explanted by extrusion, a clean surface on the ICRS explanted for refractive failure, and bacteria (cocci) in the case of proven infectious keratitis. CONCLUSIONS: The main cause of explantation was extrusion of the ICRS followed by refractive failure. There was a clear correlation between the cause of explantation and the microscopic findings on the ICRS. Extrusion was accompanied by inflammatory cells and cell debris on the ICRS surface. No inflammatory reaction was observed on the ICRS explanted for refractive failure.

Wedge resection for high astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus: refractive and histopathologic changes.

PURPOSE: To analyze the refractive, topographic, keratometric changes and the histopathologic findings after wedge resection to correct high astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was done analyzing the following parameters preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 5 years postoperatively: uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity, and spherical equivalent and refractive, topographic, and keratometric cylinder measures. We also studied the efficacy and safety indices, as well as the histopathologic findings of tissues submitted for pathology. RESULTS: A total of 22 eyes of 21 patients who underwent wedge resection in the host corneal tissue for correcting high irregular astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus were included in the study. Mean follow-up time from penetrating keratoplasty to wedge resection was 18 years, whereas the mean follow-up time after wedge resection was 39.04 months (range, 12-280 months). The mean preoperative refractive, topographic, and keratometric cylinders were 11.58 +/- 3.52 diopters (D) (range, 4.5-20 D), 10.88 +/- 5.03 D (range, 2.58-21.3 D), and 11.29 +/- 4.33 D (range, 4.50-18 D), respectively. The mean postoperative refractive, topographic, and keratometric cylinders at 3 years were 4.91 +/- 2.48 D (range, 0.50-10 D), 3.38 +/- 2.10 D (range, 2.05-7.1 D), and 5.31 +/- 2.90 D (range, 0.50-9 D), respectively. The percentage of correction at 3 years of follow up was 57.5% for refractive cylinder, 68.97% for topographic cylinder, and 53.01% for keratometric cylinder. All refractive, topographic, and keratometric data showed the lowest degree of astigmatism at 3 years postoperatively, with a tendency toward regression at 5 years postoperatively. Safety index was 1.0, whereas efficacy index was 0.49. All histopathologic sections of resected tissue were consistent with keratoconus progression in the host peripheral cornea. CONCLUSION: Wedge resection is a safe and moderately effective procedure in the correction of high astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus. Histopathologic changes confirm a true late progression of the disease in the host cornea. Keratoconus may be a disease that affects the entire cornea, and surgical resection does not cure the disease.

Lisch corneal dystrophy.

PURPOSE: To report a case of a patient with a corneal band-shaped microcystic dystrophy. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 70-year-old woman with unilateral painless loss of visual acuity presented an epithelial feathery corneal opacification involving visual axis that showed an intraepithelial dense microcystic pattern. Histopathologic examination of the epithelial scraping revealed scattered areas of vacuolization within almost the entire epithelium. Visual acuity improved after treatment, and no recurrence was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and histopathologic features correspond with those described by Lisch in his original report of 1992.

Long-term progression of astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus: evidence of late recurrence.

PURPOSE: To study changes in astigmatism throughout a 20-year period using keratometry and refraction in patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) for keratoconus. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of patients who underwent PKP for keratoconus from 1975 to 1979 and recorded preoperative refraction, stage of keratoconus, laterality of surgery, graft size, suture technique, time of suture removal, keratometry, subjective refraction at 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years after suture removal, and slit-lamp findings. RESULTS: Eighty eyes with a mean follow-up of 20 years (range, 15-25) were included in the study. Graft size, suture technique, and time of suture removal had no significant influence on the astigmatism at the last examination. We observed a stabilization of keratometric astigmatism in the first 7 years (4.05 +/- 2.29 D 1 year after suture removal, 3.90 +/- 2.28 D at year 3, 4.03 +/- 2.49 D at year 5, 4.39 +/- 2.48 D at year 7) followed by a progressive increase from 10 years after suture removal until the last follow-up visit (5.48 +/- 3.11 D at year 10, 6.43 +/- 4.11 D at year 15; 7.28 +/- 4.21 D at year 20, and 7.25 +/- 4.27 D at year 25). The mean absolute value of the difference vector (DV) calculated by vector analysis was 7.17 +/- 4.35 D (0-18.33). In 70% of cases, progression of the astigmatism was evident with mean absolute DV of 9.10 +/- 3.65 D. There was a significant correlation between the preoperative and final axis of astigmatism (Pearson r = 0.39, p = 0.0008). There was also a slight positive correlation coefficient between the DV of the eyes in bilateral cases, but it was not significant (Spearman's r = 0.2226, p = 0.34). The major late slit-lamp finding was a peripheral crescent-shaped thinning at the graft-host junction with absence of Bowman's layer on histopathology. CONCLUSION: In spite of refractive stability obtained during the first years after PKP for keratoconus, increasing astigmatism thereafter suggests that there is a progression of the disease in the host cornea.