title: Intrastromal crystalline deposits following hydrogel keratophakia in monkeys.
abstract: Intrastromal corneal crystals developed in 11 of 49 monkey eyes with hydrogel intracorneal lenticules followed over a 4 year period. All of the eyes, except one, underwent synthetic keratophakia via a microkeratome incision. The diagnosis of crystal formation was initially made by slit-lamp examination and confirmed with specular microscopy (from 21 to 150 days post-hydrogel keratophakia). The crystals were noted to lie in a plane adjacent to the hydrogel lenticule and specular microscopy revealed polychromatic, hyperrefringent crystals with either a rectangular or linear morphology. Prior to intrastromal crystal formation, these corneas developed early postoperative stromal edema (< 3 weeks). We hypothesize that early stromal edema in combination with the hydrogel intracorneal lenticule induced the production of lipid crystals by stromal keratocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Parks
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: McCarey
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Storie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000473:pathology; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000473:pathology*; D003460:Crystallization; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols