Novel technique of corneal biopsy by using a femtosecond laser in infectious ulcers.
OBJECTIVE
To describe femtosecond laser-assisted corneal biopsy and its use in assessing the causative organisms in 2 cases of infectious corneal ulcers.


METHODS
A 27-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, both of whom showed uncertain symptoms, repeated negative test results for infectious organisms, and after no improvement despite empirical therapy, underwent diagnostic corneal biopsy by using a femtosecond laser. A corneal flap depth of 200 microm and a diameter of 3 mm were obtained from each patient.


RESULTS
The biopsy specimen from the male patient showed pseudohyphae, which led to a diagnosis of candidal keratitis. The biopsy specimen from the female patient showed positive Gram stain and no evidence of fungal ulcers and yielded a culture of Streptococcus viridans. No complications occurred during either procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
Femtosecond laser-assisted corneal biopsy enabled identification of the infectious pathogen in both patients. This technique is easy, safe, and rapid, and it yields a biopsy specimen with a uniform depth and precise size. Femtosecond laser-assisted corneal biopsy can be used as an accurate diagnostic method in uncertain cases of corneal ulcers.
Kim
Jin-Hyoung
JH
Department of Ophthalmology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Koyang, Korea. jhk0924@hanmail.net
Yum
Jung-Hoon
JH
Lee
Doh
D
Oh
Sae-Hoon
SH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D034363:Viridans Streptococci / Q000302:isolation & purification