title: Clinical study of therapeutic ocular surface medium for persistent epithelial defect.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate therapeutic ocular surface medium (TOSM), a potential physiological tear replacement therapy, for persistent epithelial defect (PED).
  
  
  METHODS
  11 eyes of 10 patients with PED for ≥ 2 weeks without improvement despite conventional treatment were enrolled in a prospective pilot study of TOSM over 1 month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Healing of the PED occurred in 3 out of the 11 eyes at 1, 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. At week 4, 2 eyes were almost healed (PED area ≤ 0.5 mm(2)). In 4 of the remaining 6 eyes, the PED area was reduced. Failure occurred in 1 case with end-stage ocular cicatricial pemphigoid and severe dry eye, and 1 patient withdrew due to a mild allergic reaction. There were no serious or irreversible side effects with TOSM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TOSM is a potential novel physiological therapy for PED that, unlike autologous serum, has the potential to be easily manufactured and widely available.
authors: Corneal and External Disease Service, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.
authors: S L
authors: SL
authors: Watson
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Geerling
authors: J K G
authors: JK
authors: Dart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions