title: Corneal grafting for the treatment of feline corneal sequestrum: a retrospective study of 18 eyes (13 cats).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical outcome of corneal grafting for the treatment of feline corneal sequestrum (FCS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Domestic cats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the medical records of cats that underwent keratoplasty as a treatment of FCS at the VTH-UAB, from 2002 to 2012, was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen cats (18 eyes) of different breed, age, and gender were included. Persian cats were overrepresented (12/13;92%). There were nine males and four females, of a mean age of 3.4 years (0.7-7.1). Ipsilateral chronic corneal ulceration was reported as the most common concurrent ocular disease (6/18;33%). Keratoplasty was performed bilaterally in 5 cats (5/13;38%) and unilaterally in 8 (8/13;62%). Lamellar keratoplasty was performed in 17 eyes (17/18;95%) and full-thickness keratoplasty in 1 (1/18;5%). Mean graft size was 8.3 mm (4-11.5). Fresh homologous graft was performed in 2 eyes (2/18;11%) and frozen graft in 16 (16/18;89%). Of the latter group, homologous graft was performed in 6 eyes (6/16;37.5%) and heterologous in 10 (10/16;62.5%). In all the cats, postoperative treatment included topical antibiotics, corticosteroids, cycloplegics, and 0.2% cyclosporine A. Median follow-up time was 18.2 months, and main postoperative complications were diffuse mild epithelial pigment formation (2/18;11%), graft malacia (1/18;5%), and sequestrum recurrence (1/18;5%). Mean epithelial healing time was 19.2 days. Good visual outcome was achieved in all the eyes (100%), the majority of them having faint or mild corneal opacity (15/18;83%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Keratoplasty is an effective surgical treatment for FCS. The donor tissue provides excellent tectonic support to the affected corneas, with good visual and cosmetic outcome.
authors.affiliation: Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laguna
authors.affiliation: Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain.|Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leiva
authors.affiliation: Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lacerda
authors.affiliation: Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain.|Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peña Gimenez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002415:Cats; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: cornea; corneal nigrum; corneal sequestra; keratectomy; keratoplasty; surgery