[Phototherapeutic keratectomy in the treatment of Groenouw's type I corneal dystrophy].
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) for the treatment of corneal granular dystrophy.


METHODS
PTK was performed with the Excimed UV 200, (Summit Technology, Inc) on a series of 27 eyes of 22 patients with corneal granular dystrophy. Mean patients' age was 34.6 years. The mean follow-up period was 31 months (ranged from 6 to 52 months). The changes in best corrected visual acuity and spherical equivalent were evaluated at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.


RESULTS
All of patients achieved visual improvement. Mean preoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/100 and mean postoperative BCVA was 20/30 at one year. The mean hyperopic shift caused by tissue ablation was +/- 2.8 D after one year.


CONCLUSIONS
Corneal grafting was the standard treatment for visually disabling granular dystrophy, but PTK has significant advantages over this procedure and must now be the standard method of managing corneal granular dystrophy when intervention is required.
D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D013997:Time Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity