title: Full-thickness central corneal grafts in lamellar keratoscleroplasty to treat limbal dermoids.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the surgical outcomes in patients who underwent lamellar keratoscleroplasty with full-thickness central corneal grafts for limbal dermoids.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, noncomparative, analysis of a consecutive case series with chart review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients (6 male, 4 female; mean age, 12.3+/-5.0 years; range, 5.7-22.4 years) with 10 limbal dermoids in 10 eyes undergoing lamellar keratoscleroplasty with full-thickness central corneal grafts between 1992 and 2003 at National Taiwan University Hospital were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records and external eye photographs were reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corneal astigmatism and topography, cosmetic outcomes, and surgical complications were measured as outcome indicators. For analysis of the surgical effect on corneal astigmatism, the 9 patients with topographic data available were divided into 2 groups according to their preoperative corneal astigmatism (group 1, > or =6 diopters [D]; group 2, <6 D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean earliest recorded BCVA and the latest postoperative BCVA were 6/30 and 6/10, respectively, and the improvement of BCVA after operation combined with amblyopia treatment was 4.9+/-3.6 lines on a Snellen chart. Patients with preoperative astigmatism > or =6.0 D (9.7+/-1.0 D; n = 4) were found to have a marked decrease in astigmatism after surgery (astigmatism change, 5.2+/-1.7 D). Patients with preoperative astigmatism <6.0 D (3.4+/-0.2 D; n = 5) were found to have an insignificant increase in astigmatism after surgery (astigmatism change, 0.0+/-0.6 D). After surgery, significant corneal opacity was found in 1 patient; mild bluish scleral hue was found in 3 patients. Surgical complications included prolonged reepithelialization, interface neovascularization, graft rejection, and steroid glaucoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using full-thickness central corneal grafts in lamellar keratoscleroplasty for limbal dermoids achieved good cosmetic results with limited postoperative complications. Operation may markedly reduce corneal astigmatism in patients with high preoperative corneal astigmatism. Visual prognosis is good in patients undergoing surgery combined with adequate amblyopia treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yun-Dun
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Wei-Li
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: I-Jong
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Chih
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Fung-Rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000550:Amblyopia / Q000628:therapy; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019781:Corneal Topography; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D016850:Limbus Corneae; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012590:Sclera / Q000637:transplantation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity