Microbial keratitis after amniotic membrane transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of early-onset (<30 days) and late-onset (>30 days) microbial keratitis after treatment of persistent corneal epithelial defects with amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) utilizing tissue acquired from a commercial laboratory or prepared by the institutional eye bank.


METHODS
A retrospective, non-randomized, sequential, comparative study was performed for every patient with a persistent corneal epithelial defect who underwent primary AMT at KKESH between January 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004.


RESULTS
A total of 142 AMT procedures were performed for persistent corneal epithelial defects during the study period. There were 72 cases using commercially prepared tissue and 70 cases using locally prepared tissue. The mean patient age was 50.3+/-25.6 years (range, 1-104 years). The mean follow up was 6.3+/-5.0 months (range, 1-21 months). There were no cases of early-onset microbial keratitis in cases in which either commercially acquired tissue or locally prepared tissue was used.


CONCLUSIONS
Amniotic tissue prepared in a commercial laboratory or by properly qualified eye bank personnel may be used for AMT in eyes with persistent corneal epithelial defects with minimal risk of microbial keratitis in the first postoperative month.
Al-Kharashi
Soliman
S
Anterior Segment Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, P.O. Box 7191, Riyadh, 11462, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Al-Khawaja
Ahmed
A
Gonnah
El-Sayed
el-S
Al-Assiri
Abdullah
A
Al-Motowa
Saeed
S
Al-Towerki
Abdul-Elah
AE
Wagoner
Michael D
MD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001684:Biological Dressings / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007634:Keratitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis