title: Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty in severe infective keratitis using glycerol-preserved donor corneas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the surgical outcome of therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (TPKP) using glycerol-preserved donor corneas in severe infective keratitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Glycerol-preserved corneas were obtained from the recipient corneas of the patients who underwent optical penetrating keratoplasty and preserved in glycerol. Eight eyes of 8 patients (3 men/5 women; average age, 69.7 years) with severe corneal ulcer with perforation were treated with TPKP using glycerol-preserved corneas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a mean follow-up time of 31.1 months (range, 9-58 months), satisfactory anatomical integrity was obtained in 7 patients (87.5%) at the end of the follow-up. Eradication of infection without recurrence was obtained in 7 eyes (87.5%). The mean reepithelialization time was 10.2 days. One patient (12.5%) received secondary optical penetrating keratoplasty. The pre-TPKP visual acuity ranged from no light perception to 0.06. After surgery, 4 eyes (50%) improved or maintained preoperative visual acuity and four eyes (50%) had no light perception but maintained anatomical integrity. One had a recurrent infection and needed antibiotics and amniotic membrane graft. One suffered from secondary glaucoma and received evisceration 19 months later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glycerol-preserved donor corneas may be effective substitutes in TPKP to control severe infective keratitis and preserve anatomical integrity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ju-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hsin-Chiung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ching-Hsi
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Phil Y F
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D057112:Corneal Perforation / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005990:Glycerol; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005990:Glycerol