Indications for keratoepithelioplasty

P. W. Turgeon, R. C. Nauheim, M. I. Roat, S. S. Stopak and R. A. Thoft
Eye and Ear Institute, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Thirteen patients with ocular surface failure were treated by keratoepithelioplasty using allografts of corneal limbal epithelial cells from donor eyes. The ocular surface was stabilized with long-term healing of persistent epithelial defects in five of eight eyes followed up for 4 to 19 months. The procedure was performed on an additional 5 patients with superficial keratopathies. Three of those five procedures resulted in a stable and clear optical surface. These results suggest that epithelial transplantation may be a useful option in the care of chronic ocular surface failure unresponsive to conventional medical management.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Th2-Biased Immune System Promotion of Allogeneic Corneal Epithelial Cell Survival after Orthotopic Limbal Transplantation
Maruyama et al.
IOVS 2003;44:4736-4741.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Aberrant actin cytoskeleton leads to accelerated proliferation of corneal epithelial cells in mice deficient for destrin (actin depolymerizing factor)
Ikeda et al.
Hum Mol Genet 2003;12:1029-1036.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effect of Immunosuppression on Outcome Measures in a Model of Rat Limbal Transplantation
Mills et al.
IOVS 2002;43:647-655.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The long term outcome of limbal allografts: the search for surviving cells
Henderson et al.
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2001;85:604-609.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Autologous limbal transplantation in patients with unilateral corneal stem cell deficiency
Dua and Azuara-Blanco
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2000;84:273-278.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

T-Cell-Mediated Immune Responses in Alloepithelial Rejection after Murine Keratoepithelioplasty
Miyazaki et al.
IOVS 1999;40:2590-2597.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Epithelial Stem-Cell Transplantation for Severe Ocular-Surface Disease
Holland and Schwartz
NEJM 1999;340:1752-1753.
FULL TEXT  

Allo-limbal transplantation in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency
Dua and Azuara-Blanco
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 1999;83:414-419.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT