title: Outcomes of epithelial debridement for anterior basement membrane dystrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the outcomes of simple mechanical debridement for the management of anterior basement membrane dystrophy (ABMD) in a cohort of patients treated primarily for visual symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, observational case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  setting: Single center. study population: Seventy-four eyes of 55 patients treated with mechanical epithelial debridement over a 15-year period. observation procedures: We recorded symptoms, pre- and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), surgical technique, complications, and evidence of disease recurrence. main outcome measures: Mean best-corrected logMAR acuity and refractive errors, compared by using paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Interval to recurrence of ABMD was determined by using Kaplan-Meier estimates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean patient age was 74 years, and 80% were female. Visual difficulty was reported by the patient before the procedure in 61 eyes (82%), and erosion symptoms alone were noted before the procedure in the remaining 13 eyes. Mean BCVA improved from 20/44 before surgery to 20/30 (P = .0001) at the early follow-up visit and 20/33 (P = .0001) at the last follow-up (mean = 33 months). The mean refractive spherical equivalent changed -0.6 diopters (range, -4.75 to +2.0 diopters). No infections or persistent epithelial defects occurred. The most common postoperative complication was subepithelial haze, occurring in 19 eyes (26%). The five-year cumulative probability of recurrence of ABMD was 44.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results with this simple technique are comparable to outcomes reported with other procedures used to treat ABMD. We recommend manual debridement as an effective option for ABMD affecting visual acuity.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Medical School, Rochester, MN 55902, USA.
authors.forename: Sujit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Itty
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Keith H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Baratz
authors.forename: Nancy N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.forename: Leo J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Maguire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000601:surgery*; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003646:Debridement; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology