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Introduction: Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) is a treatment for recurrent corneal erosion syndrome (RCES). The aim of this study was to investigate whether deeper ablations yielded greater success rates., Methods: Retrospective case notes review with prospective patient-reported outcome measures for all patients who had undergone PTK for RCES at a single tertiary referral unit. Patients received treatment with the Schwind Amaris ® 750 s excimer laser. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival of patients with ablation depth ≥ 15 µm compared to < 15 µm., Results: Seventy eyes of 63 patients were included for analysis, of whom 39 (56%) had preceding trauma and 20 (29%) had epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD), with the remaining 11 (15%) of unknown aetiology. Twenty eyes (29%) received an ablation ≥ 15 µm (mean ablation depth 16.85 ± 3.4 µm) and 50 (71%) received < 15 µm (mean ablation depth 9.26 ± 1.5 µm). Overall, 65 eyes (93%) reported a subjective improvement in symptoms, with 46 (66%) remaining completely symptom free at the last follow-up [mean follow-up 24 (range, 9-48) months]. Eighty-five per cent of eyes in the ≥ 15 µm group remained symptom free compared to 58% of those with < 15 µm (p = 0.036)., Conclusion: PTK is an effective treatment for RCES, with deeper ablations yielding longer symptom-free survival., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of Interest: Kunal A Gadhvi, Georgios Vakros, Alfredo Borgia, Kirithika Muthusamy, Laura de Benito-Llopis, Alexander C Day, Daniel M Gore have nothing to declare. Ethical Approval: Written informed consent was acquired from all the participants, and the study was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, with approval by the local institutional ethics committees (Clinical Audit and Effectiveness Committee: CA16/CED/18, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London). Patients provided informed consented at the time of the procedure for the outcomes of the results to be used anonymously for the purpose of auditing outcomes and publication of anonymised results and preoperative data for scientific purposes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of proteolytic enzymes which are members of the zinc endopeptidase family. They have the ability to degrade extracellular matrix elements, allowing for the release of binding molecules and cell migration. Although metalloproteinases regulate numerous physiological processes within the cornea, overexpression of metalloproteinase genes and an imbalance between the levels of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors can contribute to the inhibition of repair processes, the development of inflammation and excessive cellular proliferation. The involvement of MMPs in the pathogenesis of dystrophic corneal diseases needs clarification. Our analyses focus on the involvement of individual metalloproteinases in the pathogenesis of recurrent corneal erosions and highlight their impact on the development of corneal epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD). We hypothesize that abnormalities observed in patients with EBMD may result from the accumulation and activation of metalloproteinases in the basal layers of the corneal epithelium, leading to basement membrane degradation. A barrier formed from degradation materials inhibits the normal migration of epithelial cells to the superficial layers, which contributes to the development of the aforementioned lesions. This hypothesis seems to be lent support by the elevated concentrations of metalloproteinases in the corneal epithelium of these patients found in our previous studies on the relationships between MMPs and recurrent corneal erosions.

A 73-year-old man presented with bilateral corneal opacities. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy showed vortex and oval-shaped opacities. In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) showed findings characteristic of amiodarone-induced keratopathy along with epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD). The IVCM findings indicated that the oval-shaped opacities can be present with amiodarone-induced keratopathy in patients with EBMD., Competing Interests: The following authors have no financial disclosures: HI, KT, TJ, AS., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Purpose: To comprehensively review the literature regarding recurrent corneal erosion (RCE) and to present treatment options and recommendations for management., Overview: RCE usually presents with sharp, unilateral pain upon awakening, in an eye with an underlying basement membrane dystrophy, prior ocular trauma, stromal dystrophy or degeneration, or prior surgery for refractive errors, cataracts, or corneal transplantation. Making the correct diagnosis requires a careful slit-lamp examination of both eyes coupled with a high degree of suspicion. Several treatments are commonly used for RCE but new therapies have been introduced recently. Conservative treatment consists of antibiotic and preservative-free lubricating drops, with topical cycloplegics and oral analgesics to control pain. Patients who are unresponsive to these therapies may benefit from therapeutic bandage contact lenses (BCL). Newer therapies include oral matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors, blood-derived eye drops, amniotic membrane graft application, and judicious application of topical corticosteroids. Once the epithelium is healed, a course of hypertonic saline solution and/or ointment can be used. Surgical procedures may be performed in patients who fail conservative therapy. Punctal occlusion with plugs increases the tear film volume. Epithelial debridement with diamond burr polishing (DBP), anterior stromal puncture (ASP), or alcohol delamination should be considered in selected patients. DBP can be used for patients with basement membrane dystrophies and is the preferred treatment overall due to a low recurrence rate. ASP can be used for erosions outside the central visual axis. Excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy is an attractive option in eyes with central RCE since it precisely removes tissue while preserving corneal transparency. In patients with RCE who are also candidates for refractive surgery, photorefractive keratectomy can be considered., Summary: Newly introduced therapies for RCE enable therapy to be individualized and lower the recurrence rate., Competing Interests: Disclosure Michael Stewart’s disclosures include the following: Allergan: institutional research support; Alkahest: consultant; Bayer: consultant; Regeneron: institutional research support. The other authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) in treating epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD)., Methods: Preoperative and postoperative records were reviewed for 58 eyes of 51 patients with >3 months follow-up (range 3-170 months) treated for EBMD with PTK after failure of conservative medical treatment at Byers Eye Institute of Stanford University. Symptoms, clinical findings, and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) were assessed. The primary outcome measure was symptomatic recurrence as measured by erosions or visual complaints >3 months after successful PTK., Results: For eyes with visual disturbances (n=30), preoperative CDVA waŝ20/32 (0.24 Log-MAR, SD 0.21) and postoperative CDVA was ~20/25 (0.07 LogMAR, SD 0.12; P <0.0001). Twenty-six eyes (86.7%) responded to treatment, with symptomatic recurrence in 6 eyes (23.1%) at an average of 37.7 months (SD 42.8). For eyes with painful erosions (n=29), preoperative CDVA was ~20/25 (0.12, SD 0.19) and postoperative CDVA was ~20/20 (0.05. SD 0.16; P =0.0785). Twenty-three eyes (79.3%) responded to treatment, with symptomatic recurrence in 3 eyes (13.0%) at an average of 9.7 months (SD 1.5). The probability of being recurrence free after a successful treatment for visual disturbances and erosions at 5 years postoperatively was estimated at 83.0% (95% confidence interval 68.7%-97.0%) and 88.0% (95% confidence interval 65.3%-96.6%), respectively., Conclusion: The majority of visual disturbances and painful erosions associated with EBMD respond to PTK. For those with a treatment response, symptomatic relief is maintained over long-term follow-up., Competing Interests: Doctor Lee and Doctor Lam have no relevant financial interests to disclose. Doctor Manche owns equity in Calhoun Vision, Inc., Seros Medical, LLC., and Veralas, Inc. He is a consultant for Allergan, Abbott Medical Optics, Avellino Laboratories, Carl Zeiss, and Guidepost Global. He holds patents with Seros Medical. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) treatment on corneal epithelial wing cell and corneal subbasal nerve density in epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD)., Methods: A total of 39 patients with EBMD who underwent PTK treatment, 40 healthy volunteers, and 24 untreated eyes with EBMD were examined with laser-scanning in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). Corneal subbasal nerves and epithelial wing cells were manually quantified from IVCM images by two observers, while epithelial wing cells were additionally quantified by a fully automated method., Results: Subbasal nerve density was significantly reduced in untreated (10,164 ± 4139 μm/mm(2); n = 24) and PTK-treated (10,624 ± 4479 μm/mm(2); n = 39) EBMD eyes, relative to healthy controls (18,241 ± 4479 μm/mm(2); n = 40) (P < 0.001). Subbasal nerve density in PTK-treated and untreated eyes did not differ (P > 0.05). Epithelial wing cell density did not differ between PTK-treated and untreated EBMD eyes, by either manual or automated analysis; however, epithelial wing cell density in PTK-treated EBMD corneas was significantly reduced (P = 0.008) relative to healthy corneas, by automated cell counting., Conclusions: Subbasal nerve density in EBMD is reduced by 45% and recovers only to the reduced level in the long term after PTK treatment, whereas epithelial wing cell density in EBMD is not affected by PTK in the long term. Fully automated cell analysis from IVCM images could provide an objective, standardized means to quantify and compare corneal cell densities in future studies.

A 48-year-old woman with no significant past history underwent bilateral simultaneous laser in situ keratomileusis for correction of her myopia. On the tenth postoperative day, the patient complained of visual decrease and photophobia. Slit lamp exam showed corneal epithelial irregularities. Confocal microscopy was performed and revealed a characteristic appearance of epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD). The patient was successfully treated with artificial tears and autologous serum eyedrops. EBMD may be missed before LASIK surgery, even after a careful pre-operative examination. Exacerbation of EBMD after LASIK surgery is rare. It should be considered when unexplained corneal epithelial defects or irregularities occur following LASIK. Confocal microscopy is very useful to confirm the diagnosis., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)