Abstract
Purpose: :
To describe cosmetic and refractive results of a lamellar keratoplasty technique for removal of limbal dermoids.
Methods: :
All charts of patients with limbal dermoids requiring surgical removal who presented to a single surgeon at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute were reviewed. The surgical technique involved deep lamellar dissection to remove the dermoid followed by grafting with a same size corneosceral graft prepared from a whole eye. Information on refraction and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were collected at each visit.
Results: :
Seven patients (5 females and 2 males) underwent excision of limbal dermoids by lamellar excision and corneoscleral keratoplasty. The mean age at the time of surgery was 13.9 years (range 6-33 years). One patient had systemic findings consistent with Goldenhar’s syndrome. The mean duration of follow-up after surgery was 9.3 months (range 1 week-3 years). All patients were concomitantly treated with spectacle correction and those with amblyopia underwent patching therapy. Pre-operative BCVA ranged from 20/25 to 20/50. Post-operative BCVA ranged from 20/25 to 20/60. All patients had an improvement in BCVA, except for the patient who only had one-week of follow-up available. The amount of astigmatism did not significantly worsen post-operatively. All patient had excellent cosmetic outcome.
Conclusions: :
Excision of limbal dermoids with corneoscleral grafts is an effective, safe surgical procedure resulting in excellent functional and cosmetic outcome.
Keywords: anterior segment • cornea: clinical science • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications