[Clinical study on surgical outcome of penetrating keratoplasty for herpetic leukoma].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate prognostic factors, rejection, and recurrence of herpetic keratitis, in keratoplasty for herpetic leukoma.


METHODS
We compared surgical outcome between patients who underwent keratoplasty for herpetic leukoma and those who received it for non-herpetic disorders. We compared the eyes of 24 patients in the herpetic group with 17 eyes of 20 patients with non-herpetic corneal disorders, i.e., the non-herpetic group.


RESULTS
The rejection rate was 45.8% for the herpetic group and 5.00% for the non-herpetic group, showing significant difference(p < 0.05). Transparent grafts were obtained for 75.0% of the herpetic group and 85.0% of the non-herpetic group, giving no significant difference. In the herpetic group, graft transparency in eyes with recurrences were 94.1%(p < 0.05). Graft rejection occurred mostly within 1 year postoperatively. RecuRrent herpetic keratitis tended to occur within 3 years and it was later than graft rejection.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients who underwent keratoplasty for herpetic leukoma, steroid therapy is important for 1 postoperative year to suppress graft rejection, but after that, steroid treatment should be carefully considered to minimize the risk of recurrences of herpetic keratitis.
Tabuchi
Kyoko
K
Department of Ophthalmology, Nihon University, School of Medicine, 30-1 Ooyaguchikami-machi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan.
Iwasaki
Yutaka
Y
Shoji
Jun
J
Sawa
Mitsuru
M
D000368:Aged; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000601:surgery*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000601:surgery*; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome