Radial keratotomy. Clinicopathologic case report
H. J. Ingraham, D. Guber and W. R. Green
A 36-year-old man underwent radial keratotomy in both eyes to correct mild
myopia, with good visual results. The corneoscleral buttons were obtained
following the patient's death 17 months after the second procedure and were
examined by light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy. The
average depth of the scars was 86.8% of the corneal thickness, and the
deeper portions of the wounds healed by fibrous scarring, with no
vascularization. The superficial portion of the incision healed by
epithelial ingrowth. The average depth of epithelium within the wounds was
25.3% of the corneal thickness. The presence of epithelium in the wounds of
radial keratotomy may play a role in decreased wound strength and
flattening. The gradual replacement of epithelium by fibrous scarring may
be a factor in the regression of corneal flattening.
