Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To determine if amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) is useful in the treatment of corneal perforations. Methods: Fifteen eyes of 15 patients (M:F/5:10; mean 66 years) with corneal perforations of differents were sizes included in three groups: group A (microperforations; n=6), group B (1-2 mm; n=4) and group C (≷2 mm; n=5). The diagnoses of the corneal perforations were: 3 eyes had inmunologic ulcers, 9 eyes neurotrophics ulcers, 1 eye with an infection corneal ulcer and 2 with severe dry eye. Two layers (in microperforations) and four layers (in the others groups) of AM were trimmed to ulcer´s size and sutured with interrupted 10/0 nylon sutures. After a AM patch was suture upon multilayer AMT. Results: Success was noted in 66.7% (10/15) of eyes. The anterior chamber was formed in the second or third day postoperation. The stromal thickness was observed after 6 weeks and the epithelium healed within 1 to 4 weeks. In all eyes the ocular inflamation was reduced. In 5 eyes the AMT failed to keep the corneal structure, 80% of these were of the group C. Conclusion: Multilayer AMT may be considered an alternative for treating of corneal perforations with sizes smaller than 2 mm. This technique may be a good alternative to delay penetrating keratoplasty, especially in acute cases in which graft rejection risk is high.
Keywords: 607 transplantation • 369 cornea: clinical science • 318 anterior segment