Journal Reviews
DSEK – five year results
This UK based study examined long-term descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) results, looking at graft survival and endothelial cell losses. Data on 210 grafts were included in analysis. Most frequent indication for DSEK was Fuch’s endothelial dystrophy (81.4%) and 46.3%...
Silent keratitis in failed graft
This study examined rates of asymptomatic keratitis in failed full thickness corneal grafts, which were not picked up clinically preoperatively. During a five year period 53 penetrating keratoplasties (PK) were performed for long-standing graft decompensation with stromal opacity and /...
Stromal cell alignment in damaged cornea
Stromal keratocytes are responsible for wound healing in the cornea following damage. Keratocytes at the site of injury become activated and differentiate to myofibroblasts which secrete extracellular matrix (ECM) to close the wound, a response mediated by transforming growth factor...
Does Acanthamoeba need bacteria to cause keratitis?
An animal study was carried out on 36 rabbits, whose corneas were inoculated with either Acanthamoeba castellanii alone, Pseudomonas aeruginosa alone or both pathogens together after a period of short (two hours) or long (six hours) co-incubation. The clinical severity...
Risk factors for DSEAK graft detachment
This was a retrospective data review on all patients who underwent primary descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSEAK) during a 10 year period: 1212 eyes were included in the analysis. Postoperative graft detachment occurred in 45 eyes (3.7%) and required...
Corneal lenticule allotransplant
This animal study looked at corneal lenticule allograft transplantation in rabbits. Seven rabbits underwent small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) procedures, where their stromal lenticules were extracted and transplanted fresh into pre-prepared corneal stromal pockets of seven recipient eyes. Animals were...
Systemic fungal infections and corneal transplants
This prospective study looked at corneal donors with positive medical history of systemic fungal infection (oral thrush or respiratory, urine, wound, sputum, bronchial, tracheal, or throat culture positive for fungus), to establish if the risk of post-keratoplasty fungal eye infections...
OCT in peripheral corneal thinning
This small retrospective study used high resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) Heidelberg Spectralis to identify features which could determine the underlying aetiology of peripheral corneal thinning. Ten patients were included; five with diagnoses of degenerative peripheral thinning; Terrien’s marginal degeneration...
Quarter DMEK
This case report describes a novel technique where one quarter of Descemet’s membrane (DM) was transplanted during a quarter-descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) procedure. DMEK graft was prepared from a 58-year-old corneo-scleral donor after one week in culture. Peripheral DM...
Does cornea cross-linkage reduce the rate of corneal transplants in keratoconus?
Cornea cross-linking (CXL) is a relatively new treatment in the management of keratoconus, which may help prevent the need for corneal transplant. This paper investigates if the introduction of corneal cross-linkage has reduced the number of corneal transplants performed annually...
Late stromal rejection in DALK
This case series reported on late stromal rejections in eyes after uncomplicated deep anterior lamellar keratoplasties (DALKs). Four eyes of three patients experienced episodes of isolated stromal rejection 33 to 46 months after surgically uncomplicated DALKs and a minimum of...
Platelet rich fibrin membrane for descemetocele
This case series described the use of a novel technique in the treatment of descemetocele. Three patients developed descemetoceles following infective keratitis with impending risk of corneal perforation. Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) membrane was prepared using 8ml of fresh venous...
