[Removal of epikeratophakia lenticules and implantation of intraocular lenses].

Two epikeratophakia lenticules were removed from a highly myopic eye after 13 years and from an aphakic eye after 15 years, respectively. After subsequent refraction compensation, the following results were achieved. Fixation of the epikeratophakia lenticules in the corneal tissue led to a change of the K-value following the removal of the corneal transplants. The refraction compensation can be performed by an intraocular or sclera-fixated lens implantation following the complete closure of the keratotomy wounds. Neither of the two host corneas had undergone an optically relevant change so that the visual acuity was almost unchanged compared to the original data. The light microscopy examination showed a broadening of the corneal epithelium, an unclearly definable basal membrane, as well as a reduction in the number of keratocytes and plaque-shaped alteration of the unstructured matrix. Electron-microscopic examination presented many osmiophilic deposits, which were judged to be catabolic products of apoptotic keratocytes.