Outbreak of diffuse lamellar keratitis caused by marking-pen toxicity.

PURPOSE: To examine the evidence that a series of cases of diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) was caused by a type of marker pen.

SETTING

Eye Institute, Auckland, New Zealand.

METHODS

During a 10-week period, 522 consecutive LASIK procedures were performed using a 60 Hz IntraLase femtosecond laser (IntraLase Corp.) to create the LASIK flap and a 217Z 100 Hz excimer laser (Bausch & Lomb) to perform the refractive ablation. As standard practice, a marking pen was used to enable accurate flap realignment. Three weeks after a sudden increase in the incidence of DLK was identified, one of the 5 surgeons performed 5 consecutive bilateral cases using the marking pen in the right eyes but not in the left eyes.

RESULTS

Of the 522 LASIK cases (119 without marking pen, 403 with marking pen), DLK developed in 49 (9.4%). No eye treated without the marking pen developed DLK; of those in which the marking pen was used, 49 (12.2%) developed DLK (P<0.0001, Fischer exact test; odds ratio, 27). In the 5 consecutive bilateral cases in which the marking pen was used in the right eye but not the left eye, 4 right eyes and no left eye developed DLK (P=0.03). Forty-five of the 49 eyes with DLK quickly recovered. The other 4 developed central toxic keratopathy.

CONCLUSION

There is strong statistical evidence that the marking pen was a factor in the occurrence of DLK.