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The Effect of Amniotic Membrane Transplantation on Central Corneal Epithelial Thickness in Patients with Corneal Chemical Burns

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First Author: B. Güner Sönmezoğlu TURKEY

Co Author(s):    B. Çakır   E. Doğan                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To investigate the results of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) in chemical corneal burns, and to evaluate the central corneal epithelial thickness (CCET) by anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) in these cases.

Setting:

The data of 18 patients who underwent AMT due to chemical burns between 2015 and 2019 were retrospectively investigated.

Methods:

The patients' age, gender, exposure agent, the time between the accident and admission, initial visual acuity (VA), degree of burn according to Dua classification, time of AMT application, time of epithelization, final VA, CCET measured by AS-OCT, and additional complications were evaluated. CCET was compared with the patients’ other non-affected eyes and age and gender-matched healthy control groups’ eyes.

Results:

Average age of the 18 patients was 36.1±14.2 years. There were Grade I burn in 1(5.5%) eye,Grade II in 4 (22.2%),Grade III in 5 (27.7%),Grade IV in 4 (22.2%),Grade V in 2 (11.1%),Grade VI in 2 (11.1%) eyes.The initial VA was 0.3±0.2.The amniotic membrane was applied for an average of 3.8±2.4 days after chemical injury,and the mean epithelization time was 17.6±4.8 days.The mean final VA was 0.7±0.2 and the mean CCET was 48.5±1.7µ as measured by AS-OCT.CCET was significantly thinner compared to the patients’ other non- affected eyes and control group (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

Although it is possible to achieve satisfactory results with AMT in corneal chemical burns, CCET was found to be significantly thinner in these cases due to the chemical damage.

Financial Disclosure:

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