PURPOSE To update the 2008 International Classification of Corneal Dystrophies (IC3D) incorporating new clinical, histopathologic, and genetic information. METHODS The IC3D reviewed worldwide peer-reviewed articles for new information on corneal dystrophies published between 2008 and 2014. Using this information, corneal dystrophy templates and anatomic classification were updated. New clinic...

Among blood preparations, serum has been topically used in the management of various ocular diseases in ophthalmology. Like peripheral blood serum, umbilical cord blood serum contains a high concentration of essential tear components, growth factors, neurotrophic factors, vitamin A, fibronectin, prealbumin, and oil. Umbilical cord serum can provide basic nutrients for epithelial renewal and can...

PURPOSE To assay for the presence of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in human corneal epithelium affected by recurrent erosion compared with that in normal corneal epithelium. METHODS Corneal epithelial debridement samples were obtained from 13 patients with recurrent epithelial erosion. For control specimens, epithelia were obtained from healthy patients undergoing photorefractive keratecto...

PURPOSE To evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of patients with recurrent corneal erosion syndrome who underwent anterior stromal puncture. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective, nonrandomized, consecutive case series. METHODS Database search of patients from 2003-2013 who underwent anterior stromal puncture was conducted at a tertiary care hospital cornea clinic. Charts of 30 patients (35 eye...

PURPOSE A large Turkish family with 52 members, 26 of whom had Groenouw type 1 corneal granular dystrophy was evaluated by genetic linkage studies and mutation analyses. Phenotype- genotype correlations were also assessed. METHODS DNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes of 22 family members was used in establishing linkage to chromosome 5q31. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis was...

PURPOSE To evaluate the corneal characteristics of patients with epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD) using an in vivo laser confocal microscope, Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II, Rostock Cornea Module (HRT II RCM). METHODS Sixteen women and 13 men who were diagnosed with or suspected to have EBMD were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 56.4+/-17.2 years within a r...

AIMS This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of excimer laser for recurrent painful erosions in patients not suited to treatment with penetrating keratoplasty. METHODS Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) with the excimer laser was performed prospectively on a series of 13 eyes of 12 patients with recurrent corneal erosions in connection with bullous keratopathy of vari...

AIM To study the results of combined photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in myopic patients with recalcitrant recurrent corneal erosion. METHODS PRK was performed in 16 eyes with the Visx 20/20 excimer laser at a central 6.0 mm zone, following total epithelial scraping. Subsequently, confluent 3.0 mm zones of PTK were ablated at a depth of 6.0 microns, sur...

AIM To investigate by electron microscopy the plane of separation of the epithelial sheet from its substratum in the procedure of alcohol delamination (ALD) in patients with recurrent corneal erosion syndrome. METHODS Ten cases of recurrent corneal erosions (RCE) secondary to trauma and seven cases related to map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy (MDFP) were treated with ALD. The epithelial sheets ob...

Corneal epithelial biopsies from two patients affected with asymptomatic bleb dystrophy were examined by light and electron microscopy. The basis of this disorder appears to be the deposition of a neutral mucopolysaccharide-protein complex as a continuous layer between the basement membrane and Bowman's layer. This material, although homogeneous in light microscopy, has a fine granular ultrastr...