Corneal endothelium in paediatric patients with uveitis: a prospective longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: To study the longitudinal effect of anterior chamber inflammation on the corneal endothelium in children. METHODS: In this prospective longitudinal observational study, children (aged <18 years) with anterior chamber inflammation and those at risk of developing uveitis due to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) were included. Changes in central endothelial cell density (ECD) and morphological variables were determined by non-contact specular microscopy, and their correlations with uveitis activity and surgical interventions were analysed. RESULTS: Ninety-nine eyes of 99 children (mean age (±SD): 10.0±4.1 years) with a history of anterior chamber inflammation were recruited. Mean follow-up was 12.3±3.5 months. Eleven children, who were under surveillance but had not developed JIA-associated uveitis were included as controls. While there were no significant differences in mean ECD between controls and subjects without prior surgery (group 1) at all time points, those who had prior ophthalmic surgery (group 2) displayed significantly lower ECD than the controls at recruitment (p=0.002) and at follow-up (p=0.004). However, longitudinal ECD assessments did not show significant changes in either group (group 1, p=0.07, group 2, p=0.54). On regression analysis, once the patient's age was adjusted for, only the occurrence of intraocular procedures during the study (r=0.43, adjusted p=0.03) was associated with a significant annual rate of ECD loss. CONCLUSION: During the study period, longitudinal ECD changes among children with uveitis were associated with intraocular surgery for uveitis-related complications but not uveitis activity. By reducing the need for surgical intervention, the corneal endothelium in these children may be preserved.

Endothelial cell density in children with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy: a longitudinal case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate longitudinal endothelial cell characteristics of children with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy (PPCD). METHODS: In this prospective case-control study, children with PPCD were followed with slit-lamp photography and non-contact specular microscopy. Patient's eyes were subdivided according to the clinical subtypes of PPCD (vesicular, band, diffuse, and unaffected) and the number of lesions present on the posterior corneal surface. Findings were then compared with age-matched controls. RESULTS: Thirty eyes of 15 patients with PPCD with a mean age 10.5 ± 3.1 years were analysed. Mean follow-up was 3.0 ± 1.0 years. PPCD morphology was vesicular in 40%, diffuse in 37%, band type in 10% and 13% had no detectable lesions despite contralateral involvement. Fourteen eyes (47%) had ≥5 endothelial lesions. Patients with PPCD had significantly lower endothelial cell densities (ECD) at recruitment (1918.9 ± 666.3 vs. 3340.1 ± 286.5 cells/mm2, p < 0.007) and at final follow-up (1793.1 ± 684.6 vs. 3265.2 ± 304.3 cells/mm2, p < 0.007) compared to age-matched controls. The lowest ECDs were found in eyes with diffuse type PPCD and those with ≥5 posterior corneal lesions, while clinically unaffected eyes in patients with confirmed PPCD in fellow eye had a normal ECD. However, the rates of annual ECD decline were not significantly different between eyes with PPCD in general, between the subgroups of PPCD and the normative groups. CONCLUSION: Endothelial cell density is significantly reduced among children with PPCD and depends on the clinical subtype and the number of posterior corneal lesions present. However, annual ECD loss is similar between normal eyes and those with PPCD.

Femtosecond laser refractive surgery after descemet stripping-automated endothelial keratoplasty.

Purpose. To report the use of femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in the treatment of hyperopia subsequent to Descemet stripping-automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). Methods. Interventional case report. Results. A 66-year-old woman with Fuchs endothelial dystrophy developed bullous keratopathy after cataract surgery in her right eye. She underwent DSAEK with a significant postoperative hyperopic shift in her refraction. Thirteen months after DSAEK, she underwent wavefront-guided, femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK (IntraLase, Inc., Irvine, CA/AMO, Inc., IL, USA). Pretreatment unaided visual acuity was 20/120, and best-corrected visual acuity was 20/20 with a refraction of +3.25/-0.50 × 170. One year after laser refractive correction, unaided visual acuity was 20/20 with a refraction of +0.25/-0.75 × 160. Conclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first paper on the successful treatment of hyperopic shift related to DSAEK with wavefront-guided, femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK.