[Bandage keratoplasty therapeutic-optical in treatment of progressing pellucid marginal corneal degeneration (a preliminary report)].

PURPOSE: To provide preliminary estimation of the effectiveness of bandage therapeutic-optical keratoplasty (BTOK; previously called inralamellar bandage keratoplasty) in patients with pellucid marginal corneal degeneration (PMD).

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study included 7 patients (8 eyes) with PMD aged 35 to 55 years operated with intralamellar bandage keratoplasty, the follow-up period comprised 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery.

RESULTS

All patients with PMD operated with intralamellar bandage keratoplasty showed increase in visual acuity to an average of 0.55±0.35 a year after the surgery; by that time, the maximum refractive power of the cornea decreased to an average of -44.5±3.0 D. The area of stromal thinning was thickened by donor corneal flap. No signs of rejection were detected over the entire observation period.

CONCLUSION

Intralamellar bandage keratoplasty may be the method of choice to stop further progression of PMD with improvement of optical properties of the cornea.