title: Detection of corneal epithelial defect through amniotic membrane patch by fluorescein.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the usefulness of fluorescein dye to detect a corneal epithelial defect through an amniotic membrane patch in 4 cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patients with painful bullous keratopathy, 1 patient with total limbal deficiency, and 1 patient with acute chemical burn underwent surgeries in conjunction with amniotic membrane as patch. Postoperatively, slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination with and without fluorescein staining was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The status of epithelialization, ie, corneal epithelial defect on either denuded corneal stroma or amniotic membrane graft, was indiscernible by slit-lamp biomicroscopy through the amniotic membrane patch. Nevertheless, it could be detected by fluorescein staining, especially after saline rinse, in all 4 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fluorescein staining permits clinicians to avoid prematurely removing the amniotic membrane patch during the treatment of a persistent corneal epithelial defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan. kobaya@kenroku.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ijiri
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Di Pascuale
authors.forename: Scheffer C G
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tseng
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000368:Aged; D000650:Amnion / Q000637:transplantation*; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019793:Fluorescein