Excimer Laser Photorefractive Keratectomy in the Treatment of Corneal Scars and Recurrent Corneal Erosion

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: Excimer laser is recently being used for therapeutic scopes in the reduction of corneal opacification and in cases of recurrent corneal erosion. We studied the efficacy of photherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in the treatment of corneal scars and recurrent corneal erosion. Methods: A total of 17 patients were enrolled in the study. 10 eyes were treated for corneal scars and 7 eyes were treated for recurrent corneal erosions with the excimer laser. The follow-up was 15 months. Results: In the eyes with corneal scars the mean preoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/60; after treatment, this improved to a mean value of 20/40. Four eyes showed improvement of 2 or more Snellen lines and four improved of one line or showed no change. In one patient with deep scarring a second treatment with combined PRK led to improvement. A complication was reactivation of herpetic infection in one patient treated for a post herpetic corneal scar even though the last episode of keratitis had occurred 2 years earlier. In the patients with recurrent corneal erosion there was a success rate of 86% after one treatment and 100 % after two treatments. There was a subjective improvement in the quality of vision in some patients. Conclusion: PTK offers good results in the treatment of RCE. In corneal scars many factors contribute to the success of treatment including scar aetiology, the depth and the number of scars. Proper patient selection in these cases is mandatory.

Keywords: 369 cornea: clinical science • 449 keratitis • 454 laser