title: Traumatic wound dehiscence after penetrating keratoplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic wound dehiscence after penetrating keratoplasty is probably underestimated.
  
  
  METHODS
  From the files of the University Eye Hospital Tübingen (1981-1993), 15 patients with a traumatic wound dehiscence after penetrating keratoplasty were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Latency between corneal grafting and wound rupture ranged from 1 month to 25 years (mean 6.2 years). Wound dehiscence was quite evenly distributed over the circle. Intraocular tissue was lost to a variable extent. Three eyes were primarily or secondarily enucleated. Seven eyes (47%) with an originally reduced but useful vision became blind or were removed. Most (67%) of the resutured grafts lost transparency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traumatic wound dehiscence is a serious and not very rare complication after penetrating keratoplasty. Functional results are poor.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Hospital, Department I, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rohrbach
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Weidle
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Steuhl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meilinger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pleyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome