Efficacy of conjunctival resection with cyanoacrylate glue application in preventing recurrences of Mooren's ulcer.

AIM: To evaluate the role of conjunctival resection along with cyanoacrylate glue and bandage contact lens application in preventing recurrences and arresting progression in cases of Mooren's ulcer. METHOD: This retrospective interventional case series included cases of Mooren's ulcer that underwent conjunctival resection with cyanoacrylate glue and bandage contact lens application between 2011 and 2014. Systemic immunosuppression was initiated depending on the laterality and severity of disease. The primary outcome measures were clinical quiescence and recurrence-free survival. Kaplan-Meier plots were constructed and survival analysis done using the R software environment for statistical analysis. Secondary outcome measures were needed for systemic immunosuppression, change in best-corrected visual acuity and complications encountered. RESULTS: We evaluated 16 eyes of 12 patients who presented to us during the study period. The mean follow-up duration was 9.6 months. All eyes achieved clinical quiescence with a median recurrence-free survival of 141 days. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed probability of recurrence-free survival to be 42.5% at 1 year, which further dropped down to 21.3% at 2 years. All patients with recurrence (seven eyes of four patients) required systemic immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctival resection and cyanoacrylate glue application are not effective in avoiding recurrences and halting the disease progression in cases of Mooren's ulcer. Systemic immunosuppression remains the mainstay of therapy.

Science and Art of Cell-Based Ocular Surface Regeneration.

The potential cause of blindness worldwide includes diseases of the cornea, ocular surface (limbal stem cell deficiency, allergic conjunctivitis, dry eye diseases), and retinal diseases. The presence of stem cells (limbal stem cells) in the basal region of the limbus makes it an important tool for the ocular regeneration and also in maintaining the transparency of eye by replacing the corneal epithelium continuously. Various surgical modalities have been developed like cultured limbal epithelial transplantation, cultured oral mucosal epithelial transplantation, simple limbal epithelial transplantation, etc., utilizing the cell-based regenerative properties to treat limbal disorder. Cell-based therapies for ocular repair and regeneration comprise a major hope by therapies involving the mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and limbal stem cells for the restoration of vision in individuals whose ocular tissue has been irreversibly damaged by disease or trauma. This review explores critical needs in human disease mainly the ocular problem where cell-based therapeutics is exceptionally well suited and also the use of animal models, various artificial scaffolds, as well as advancement in clinical technique to challenge the current demand to overcome corneal blindness.

Customised simple limbal epithelial transplantation for recurrent limbal stem cell deficiency.

A 4-year-old boy developed unilateral, total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) following an acid injury. A stable ocular surface was achieved with autologous simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET), performed 4 months after the injury. Focal areas of conjunctivalisation were noted in the postoperative period. These were addressed using a novel modification of SLET. A very small piece of limbus from the healthy eye was split into multiple pieces, and applied to the bare corneal stroma with fibrin glue after pannus resection. The surface was covered with amniotic membrane. This resulted in a stable surface, and visual acuity improved to 20/50. The donor remained healthy despite two biopsies being harvested. This case demonstrates that early ocular surface reconstruction may be considered in children with LSCD if amblyopia is a concern. Customised SLET allows surgeons to tackle focal recurrences of LSCD effectively, using minimal limbal tissue from the donor site.

Successful autologous simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) in previously failed paediatric limbal transplantation for ocular surface burns.

A 3-year-old child sustained severe ocular surface burns in her left eye after accidental lime injury. Despite appropriate management in the acute stage, she developed limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) in that eye. This was initially treated with autologous ex vivo cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation (CLET), which unfortunately failed after 6 months resulting in recurrence of LSCD. One year following CLET, she underwent simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) using autologous donor tissue from the healthy fellow eye. Successful restoration of the ocular surface following SLET combined with amblyopia therapy led to significant cosmetic and functional improvement. One year following SLET her vision in the left eye was 20/80 and she continues to maintain a stable, avascular and completely epithelised corneal surface. This case illustrates that SLET is effective in treating LSCD even in cases that are conventionally considered to be at high risk for failure of limbal stem cell transplantation.

In-vivo expansion of autologous limbal stem cell using simple limbal epithelial transplantation for treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency.

A 20-year-old man from Bangladesh suffered accidental alkali injury to his right eye in May 2010 leading to total limbal stem cell deficiency. An amniotic membrane graft was performed 5 days after the accident and the patient presented to our institute 6 months later. On ocular examination, his best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/50 with a 360° pannus at the periphery and central area was spared but had stromal scarring. He underwent simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) taking a limbal biopsy from his left eye and was prescribed steroid and antibiotic eye drops postoperatively as per the standard regimen. At 2 year follow-up, the patient's ocular surface is stable with improvement in  BCVA to 20/25 post-SLET.