title: Limbal graft and/or amniotic membrane transplantation in the treatment of ocular burns.
abstract: Limbal stem cell transplantation (LSCT) and amniotic membrane transplantation may improve corneal recovery after a chemical burn. Amniotic membrane was applied as a patch in 5 eyes; LSCT from healthy contralateral eye was performed in 6 eyes, and a combination of these techniques was performed in 4 eyes. There were no complications during surgical procedure. Epithelization was completed after 2 weeks in patients with LSCT, and after 3 weeks in the amniotic membrane transplantation group. Visual acuity improved in all patients. No complication was observed on either the donor or the recipient eye during a follow-up period of >13 months in all groups. Amniotic membrane is effective in promoting re-epithelization and reducing inflammation when applied alone in patients with 3- to 6-hour limbal involvement, as well as combined with LSCT in patients with >6-hour limbal ischemia. LSCT is an effective procedure for rehabilitation after severe chemical trauma of the eye with more than 50% limbal involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Sestre milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia. renata.ivekovic@zg.tel.hr
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ivekovic
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tedeschi-Reiner
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Novak-Laus
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andrijevic-Derk
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cima
authors.forename: Zdravko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mandic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000650:Amnion / Q000637:transplantation*; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000601:surgery*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology*; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells; D014792:Visual Acuity