Abstract
Purpose: :
To study the corneal epithelial wound healing process by in vivo confocal microscopy in diabetic patiensts who recevied corneal debridement during pars planal vitrectomy
Methods: :
Forty eyes of 40 patients which recevied corneal debridement during pars planal vitrectomy for the treatment of proliferative retinopathy were enrolled. In vivo confocal microscopy was used to study the corneal epithelial wound healing process at post operative 1 week, 2 week, 1 month, 3 months and six months. The corneal basal and apical surface epithelial morphology were examined. Slit lamp biomicrscopy was also used to evaluate the corneal condition at the same time.
Results: :
By slit lmap biomicroscopy, 75% of eyes were found to have completed corneal epitehlial wound healing within 2 weeks, and 90% were within 1 month. However, in vivo confocal microscopy demonstrated the wound healing process persisted to at least 3 months after operation in 82.5% of eyes. The delayed corneal epithelial wound healing process involved the late maturation of both corneal basal epithelial cells and apical cells.
Conclusions: :
Corneal epithelial wound healing process in diabetic eyes is slow. Both corneal basal epithelial layer and apical layer are involved in the delayed wound healing process.
Clinical Trial: :
www.clinicaltrials.gov 200702038R1
Keywords: cornea: clinical science • cornea: epithelium • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials