title: Superior Perilimbal Epitheliopathy in Recurrent Corneal Erosion Syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To highlight the finding of occult areas of poor epithelial adhesion in the superior perilimbal cornea in a minority of patients with recalcitrant recurrent corneal erosion syndrome presenting with corneal erosion elsewhere on the corneal surface.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one eyes of 31 consecutive patients with corneal erosion undergoing mechanical debridement of the epithelium before diamond burr keratectomy for recurrent corneal erosion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one eyes of 31 consecutive patients with recurrent corneal erosion were examined for poor epithelial adhesion determined by mechanical debridement with a dry microsponge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During debridement, 8 of 31 eyes (25.8%) displayed a large arcuate area of occult dysfunction of adhesion in the superior perilimbal area. None of these eyes showed recurrence over a mean of 18 months after diamond burr keratectomy (95% confidence interval, 0%-36.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mechanical debridement with a microsponge identified a significant minority of patients with poor adhesion in the superior perilimbal cornea away from the area of obvious erosion and increased the target area for diamond burr keratectomy. This 2-pronged approach allowed successful management of this group.
authors.affiliation: *City Eye Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; †University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; and ‡School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rac
authors.forename: Graham A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Vincent
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies