[Indications and surgical outcomes of amniotic membrane transplantation].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the indications and surgical outcomes of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) for ocular-surface disease.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

This study involved 304 AMTs performed at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine between April 1998 and March 2008. Preoperative diagnoses, clinical features, surgical procedures and postoperative outcomes were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Of 304 cases, 145 cases had a pterygium (48 primary, 82 recurrent, and 15 pseudo-pterygium). The recurrence rate at one year was 6.1% among the 99 cases of pterygium followed for at least one year postoperatively. Ninety-three cases had severe ocular surface diseases including ocular pemphigoid (30), chemical or thermal burn (29), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (23), and others (11) AMT and epithelial transplantation was combined in 64 cases, and successful ocular-surface reconstruction was obtained in 88 cases (94.6%). Neoplasia was observed in 22 cases (12 benign, 10 malignant). The ocular-surface was successfully reconstructed in all cases by AMT combined with complete tumor resection. Other preoperative diagnoses included persistent epithelial defects (PED) (15), conjunctival chalasis (12) and uncontrollable glaucoma (11). No cases experienced any AMT-related complication.

CONCLUSIONS

AMT proved effective for preventing the recurrence of pterygium and for ocular-surface reconstruction in patients with severe ocular-surface disease or ocular-surface neoplasia.