title: Amniotic membrane transplantation for partial and total limbal stem cell deficiency secondary to chemical burn.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the surgical outcome of preserved amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) for ocular surface reconstruction in chemical burn with limbal stem cell deficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty eyes of 20 consecutive patients with limbal stem cell deficiency secondary to ocular chemical injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  AMT with or without adjunctive limbal transplantation using limbal tissue from either the healthy contralateral eye (CLAU) or a living related donor (lr-CLAL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Reconstruction of corneal epithelium (clear appearance without epithelial defect, normal fluorescein permeability and the absence of conjunctiva-derived goblet cells on impression cytology), decrease in corneal vascularization and improvement in visual acuity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a mean follow-up time of 19 months (range, 8-27 months), satisfactory ocular surface reconstruction was obtained in 15 eyes (75%), with reduced inflammation and vascularization of the ocular surface and a mean epithelialization time of 3.3 weeks. Success was observed in all cases of partial limbal stem cell deficiency (PLD) and in 68.75% (11 eyes) of cases of total limbal stem cell deficiency (TLD). Surgical failure was observed in five severe cases (31.25%). A significant visual improvement was observed in all cases after surgery, except for 2 eyes that maintained preoperative visual acuity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AMT seems to be an efficient adjunct for ocular surface reconstruction in chemical burns with PLD. When performed in conjunction with limbal stem cell transplantation, it is also effective in most cases of TLD.
authors.affiliation: Cornea and External Disease Service, Department of Ophthalmology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), R. Sabará, 566 Cjuto. 212, 01239-010 São Paulo/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Alvaro Pereira
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Myrna Serapião
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Marcelo Carvalho
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Vera Lúcia Degaspare
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Mascaro
authors.forename: Jeison de Nadai
authors.initials: Jde N
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Luciene Barbosa
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: de Sousa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000650:Amnion / Q000637:transplantation*; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000637:transplantation*; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D014021:Tissue Preservation; D014792:Visual Acuity