title: Hormone administration promotes the epithelium healing in patients with recurrent corneal epithelial exfoliation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of hormone administration upon epithelium healing in patients with recurrent corneal epithelial exfoliation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The recurrence rate of 56 patients with recurrent corneal epithelial exfoliation was compared after 3-month follow up, 30 patients of whom received the basic treatment of bFGF and pressure bandage plus prednisone administration (combination treatment group, ie. A) and the other 26 patients received the basic treatment alone (single treatment group, ie. B).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patients showed recurrence in the combination treatment group. But there were 20 patients (76.92%) in the basic treatment group recurred. χ² test showed that χ²=35.9. The two groups had significant difference regarding the recurrence of corneal epithelial exfoliation (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the patients with recurrent corneal epithelial exfoliation, hormone administration should be considered to reduce the recurrence and protect the function of cornea as a supplement to the basic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Center of Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai 519000, China. xueyan751001@163.com
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects*; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D011241:Prednisone