Corneal wound healing in monkeys 18 months after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy.
Excimer laser keratomileusis (photorefractive keratectomy, direct corneal ablation) for myopic corrections of 2.00 diopters (n = 1), 4.00 D (n = 4), and 8.00 D (n = 3) was performed on eight corneas of four Rhesus monkeys. All animals were followed for 18 months. The ablations healed normally and no epithelial erosions occurred. Serial slit-lamp microscope examinations revealed that a variable amount of corneal haze developed in all animals; this haze progressively faded during the follow-up period. Histopathology revealed an epithelium of normal thickness, basement membrane abnormalities, increased number and activity of stromal keratocytes, and a variable amount of newly secreted extracellular matrix in the anterior stroma. These findings suggest that excimer laser keratomileusis induces a mild wound healing response in the anterior cornea which displays considerable individual variability and persists up to 18 months.
Hanna
K D
KD
Emory University Department of Ophthalmology, Atlanta, Ga.
Pouliquen
Y M
YM
Savoldelli
M
M
Fantes
F
F
Thompson
K P
KP
Waring
G O
GO
Samson
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D014945:Wound Healing