title: Congenital hypoplastic trigeminal nerve revealed by manifestation of corneal disorders likely caused by neural factor deficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a case of hypoplastic trigeminal nerve associated with corneal epithelial disorders that were successfully treated with peptides derived from substance P and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).
  
  
  METHODS
  A 16-month-old boy was referred for treatment of a persistent corneal epithelial defect on his left eye. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed the apparent absence of the trigeminal nerve on the left side, and the patient was therefore diagnosed with neurotrophic keratopathy. Treatment with eye drops containing the tetrapeptides FGLM-NH2 and SSSR derived from the neuropeptide substance P and the growth factor IGF-1, respectively, resulted in resurfacing of the corneal epithelial defect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The trigeminal nerve anomaly of the patient likely gave rise to neurotrophic keratopathy as a result of a deficiency of neural factors, emphasizing the importance of neural regulation in corneal epithelial homeostasis.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
authors: Naoyuki
authors: N
authors: Morishige
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
authors: Yukiko
authors: Y
authors: Morita
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
authors: Naoyuki
authors: N
authors: Yamada
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
authors: Teruo
authors: T
authors: Nishida
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
authors: Koh-Hei
authors: KH
authors: Sonoda
keywords: Corneal epithelial disorder; Neurotrophic keratopathy; Trigeminal nerve