title: Results of lamellar crescentic resection for pellucid marginal corneal degeneration.
abstract: Five eyes in four patients with pellucid marginal corneal degeneration were treated by lamellar crescentic resection of the thinned area inferiorly. Normal-thickness stroma was then reapposed to normal-thickness stroma with multiple interrupted 10-0 polypropylene sutures. If excessive central corneal steepening along a vertical meridian was present three months after surgery, selected sutures were cut and removed depending on the slit-lamp appearance, keratometry reading, and photokeratograph pattern. Improvement of visual acuity to 20/40 or better was obtained in four of the five eyes with a follow-up of 27 to 40 months (mean, 31.8 months). Early loosening of sutures resulted in a recurrence of corneal thinning and astigmatism in one eye. Pannus developed inferiorly in all five eyes.
authors.affiliation: Anterior Segment/External Disease Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cameron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000601:surgery; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity