The influencing factors and characteristics of corneal graft endothelial decompensation after penetrating keratoplasty.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influencing factors and characteristics of endothelial decompensation after penetrating keratoplasty (PK).


METHODS
We investigated the indications for PK, the onset times of postoperative endothelial decompensation, and the prevalence of risk factors in 151 eyes from 3031 eyes treated with PK in our center from 1993 to 2007.


RESULTS
Ocular trauma (22%), repeated PKs (17%), and chemical and thermal burns (10%) were the most common PK indications with the occurrence of endothelial decompensation. Although herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) accounted for 13% in the PK indications with endothelial decompensation, its incidence was actually statistically low (p=0.040) due to the high percentage of HSK in the cases treated with PK (20%). Most endothelial decompensation occurred within 2 years (66%), which may be related to early rejection (p=0.038). Endothelial decompensation occurred within 2 years in all patients due to congenital corneal endothelial dystrophy and iridocorneal endothelial syndrome; more than 70% due to ocular trauma and chemical and thermal burn occurred within 2 years; most cases due to mycotic corneal ulcer (100%) and bullous keratopathy (93%) occurred within 5 years. In the HSK group, endothelial decompensation occurred most at 10.5 and 126 months (median time). The prevalence of risk factors depended on the indicator for PK (p=0.027), and rejection was the highest (41%) among all factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with different indicators for PK had different incidences and onset times for endothelial decompensation, which could help clinicians to follow-up and treat patients with PK reasonably and improve the basic research of pathogenesis of endothelial decompensation.
Xiao
Xuan
X
Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Xie
Lixin
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000209:etiology; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000209:etiology; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult