Optical coherence tomography-guided transepithelial phototherapeutic keratectomy for the treatment of extreme cases of corneal opacities
Session Details
Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Keratorefractive Results I
Venue: Poster Village: Pod 2
First Author: : M.Rechichi ITALY
Co Author(s): : M. Ferrise C. Mazzotta S. Zagari M. Zagari
Abstract Details
Purpose:
To report the outcomes of the use of Transepithelial Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (Trans-PTK) without Mitomycin C (MMC) as a treatment modality for anterior corneal opacities with a depth up to 200 µm.
Setting:
Eye Center Catanzaro, Italy
Methods:
15 eyes of 15 patients with permanent anterior corneal opacities where treated using OCT-guided Transepithelial Phototherapeutic Keratectomy . The etiology of the opacities was of various nature: intractable haze following surface corneal refractive surgery, ocular pemphigoid, ocular trauma, scarring of the cornea following herpetic stromal keratitis. The mean depth of the opacities was 107µm (range from 55 to 199 µm ). The depth of treatment was preoperatively calculated using OCT of the anterior segment. The transepithelial phototherapeutic keratectomies were performed using the Scwhind Amaris 500e excimer laser.
Results:
The mean age of the patients was 34 years of age (range 27 to 54). Mean BCVA prior to the Trans-PTK treatment was 20/100. Mean ablation depth was 74 µm (range 55 to 138). Final mean BCVA was 20/25. 12 of the 15 patients that qualified for this study had a post-operative UCVA ≥ 20/40 at the 3 months control. In 4 cases out of 15 the presence of a small residual opacity after the treatment was appreciated.
Conclusions:
Transepithelial Phototherapeutic Keratectomy without MMC can be safely and effectively used as a treatment for deep anterior corneal opacities that would otherwise be suitable for corneal transplant.
The presence of small residual corneal opacity after the treatment of extremely deep scars seems to be compatible with satisfactory visual results.
Further studies are needed to further validate the technique described in this paper.
Financial Disclosure:
NONE
