In patients with nephropathic cystinosis, corneal crystals develop by one year of age; they progressively accumulate and eventually cause recurrent corneal erosions and photophobia. After an in vitro study of cystinotic corneal stromal cells showed cystine depletion by cysteamine and after topical cysteamine was determined to be nontoxic in rabbits, we performed a controlled double-blind clinic...

Map-dot-fingerprint basement-membrane abnormalities of the cornea are common in the general population, affecting as many as 76% of persons over age 50 and 42% of persons of all ages. The prevalence of this condition in the general population is not significantly different from that found in families of patients with recurrent corneal erosions and map-dot-fingerprint corneal changes. Despite th...

Ichthyosis follicular, alopecia, and photophobia (IFAP) syndrome is a rare disease, with possible X-linked mode of inheritance. The patient presented with ocular findings of photophobia, corneal scarring and erosions, superficial and deep corneal vascularization and myopia. He was treated with artificial tears and punctal occlusion with small improvement of photophobia. After three months using...

Purpose: To study the effect of phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in the treatment of various superficial corneal pathologies. Methods: We performed a nonrandomized, prospective study on patients who presented with superficial corneal disease and/or poor vision. Fifty eyes were included; recurrent corneal erosion (RCE): 25 eyes, Salzmann’s nodular degeneration: 9 eyes, spheroidal degeneration:...

The recurrent epithelial erosion syndrome of the cornea is a common disorder; it usually follows specific trauma to the cornea, though it may present without such a history. It may sometimes be inherited or may occur in association with inherited corneal dystrophies (Duke-Elder and Leigh, I965; Griffith and Fine, I967). Clinically, the patient presents with symptoms of a sharp pain on opening t...

PURPOSE To describe the clinical stages and management of Achromobacter xylosoxidans keratitis with post-LASIK epithelial ingrowth in two patients. METHODS Retrospective chart review. RESULTS Both patients had been treated with topical antibiotics and corticosteroids for several weeks prior to presentation. Examination at presentation revealed significant areas of epithelial ingrowth withou...

PURPOSE Laser in vivo confocal microscopy noninvasively provides images that are equivalent to high quality histology. We have now applied this technique to identify pathological characteristics of traumatic recurrent corneal erosion (RCE). METHODS Six eyes of six patients with traumatic RCE were studied. Corneas were examined with a slit lamp biomicroscope and with a laser in vivo confocal m...

Integrin α6β4 is an integral membrane protein within hemidesmosomes and it mediates adhesion of epithelial cells to their underlying basement membrane. During wound healing, disassembly of hemidesmosomes must occur for sheet movement-mediated cell migration. The mechanisms of disassembly and reassembly of hemidesmosomes are not fully understood. The current study was initiated to understand the...