gms | German Medical Science

104th DOG Annual Meeting

21. - 24.09.2006, Berlin

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Transplantation of autologous limbal epithelial cells in patients with keratitis due to herpes simplex

Meeting Abstract

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  • P. Bezdetko - Kharkov State Medical University, Ukraine, Ophthalmology Department
  • E. Muzhychuk - Kharkov State Medical University, Ukraine, Ophthalmology Department
  • H. V. Vlasko - Kharkov State Medical University, Ukraine, Ophthalmology Department

Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft e.V.. 104. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft (DOG). Berlin, 21.-24.09.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. Doc06dogDO.12.01

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dog2006/06dog092.shtml

Published: September 18, 2006

© 2006 Bezdetko et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Objective

To study the effect of epithelial cells transplantation from the limbus of the contralateral cornea in patients with keratitis due to herpes simplex.

Methods

We took specimens of limbal epithelial cells from the healthy contralateral eyes of seven patients with unilateral keratitis due to herpes simplex. Limbal epithelial cells was transplanted to the denuded corneal surface of the damaged eye after superficial keratectomy to remove fibrovascular ingrowth. The mean (B±SD) follow-up period was 15B±2 months.

Results

Complete reepithelialization of the corneal surface occurred within two to four days of transplantation in all six eyes receiving transplants. By one month, the ocular surface was covered with corneal epithelium, and the clarity of the cornea was improved. In five of the seven eyes receiving transplants (71 percent), the mean visual acuity improved from 20/112 to 20/35. No patient had recurrent neovascularization or inflammation in the transplanted area during the follow-up period.

Conclusions

Transplantation of autologous limbal epithelial cells is a simple and effective method of reconstructing the corneal surface and restoring useful vision in patients with unilateral deficiency of limbal epithelial cells.