title: Corneal optical coherence tomography before and after phototherapeutic keratectomy for recurrent epithelial erosions(2).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the representation of corneal structures with optical coherence tomography (OCT) before and after excimer laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) for recurrent epithelial erosions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Departments of Ophthalmology, Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln, Berlin, and Medizinische Universität, Lübeck, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study comprised 15 eyes of 14 patients with recurrent epithelial erosions. The central corneal and epithelial thickness as well as the wound-healing response in the anterior corneal stroma were assessed with slitlamp-adapted OCT before and after PTK.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After PTK, the symptoms improved in all patients without loss of best corrected, glare, or low-contrast visual acuity. The mean central corneal OCT thickness was 540 microm +/-28 (SD) preoperatively, 492 +/- 36 microm immediately after epithelial debridement and PTK, and 519 +/- 25 microm after 7 weeks (P <.01). The mean central epithelial OCT thickness changed from 70 +/- 13 microm preoperatively to 60 +/- 7 microm after 7 weeks (P >.01). Changes in the light-scattering properties in the anterior subepithelial stroma revealed a hyperreflective area with a mean thickness of 46 +/- 13 microm after 7 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using noncontact corneal OCT, corneal and epithelial thickness changes and the wound-healing response in the anterior corneal stroma could be evaluated after PTK in patients with recurrent epithelial erosions.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wirbelauer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Häberle
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Laqua
authors.forename: Duy Thoai
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Pham
mesh_terms: D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019781:Corneal Topography; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D014054:Tomography; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014945:Wound Healing