[Perforating keratoplasty with transplants from pseudophakic donors].
OBJECTIVE
Pseudophacia is considered to be a relative exclusion criterion for cornea donation. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the clinical outcome and prognosis of penetrating keratoplasty with grafts from pseudophacic donors.


METHODS
From April 1996 to July 2000 16 patients received grafts from pseudophacic donors (group I). The control group (group II) comprised 26 patients with grafts from donors without a history of intraocular surgery. Graft survival, ratio of grafts without immune reactions and chronic endothelial cell loss were compared between both groups.


RESULTS
During a follow-up of almost 1 year, no graft failures and no graft rejections were observed in group I. In group II 90% of the grafts remained clear and 91% of the grafts remained free of immune reactions in the same follow-up period (Kaplan-Meier estimation). The differences between the study groups were not statistically significant. Chronic endothelial cell loss was 0.86 +/- 0.82 cells per mm2 and day in group I and 1.4 +/- 1.8 cells per mm2 and day in group II. This difference was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Our clinical results reveal no reason to regard pseudophacia as a principal contraindication for cornea donation, provided a critical endothelial evaluation is carried out.
Augenklinik, Lions Hornhautbank NRW, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf. jochenbest@aol.com
J
J
Best
T
T
Reinhard
D
D
Böhringer
H
H
Spelsberg
R
R
Sundmacher
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D016896:Treatment Outcome