title: Diamond burr debridement of 34 canine corneas with presumed corneal calcareous degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the signalment, presence of systemic and/or ocular comorbidities, times to detected healing and probabilities of recurrence after diamond burr debridement (DBD) of eyes with presumed corneal calcareous degeneration and secondary ulceration and/or ocular pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six dogs with 42 eyes affected, 34 eyes treated with DBD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case series was conducted using medical records from a private veterinary ophthalmology referral practice. Dogs were included if they had white or gray corneal opacity consistent with corneal calcareous degeneration with either erosive or superficial ulceration and/or ocular pain in at least one eye and had at least one such eye treated with DBD. DBD was performed with a battery-operated handheld motorized burr (The Alger Company, Inc. Lago Vista, TX, USA), and a bandage contact lens was placed in the majority of eyes (30/34). Eyes were considered healed when the cornea was fluorescein negative, and there were no signs of ocular pain. Patient data (signalment, recurrence) were extracted from medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dogs were first re-examined 7-62 days after treatment (median: 13 days). All DBD-treated eyes healed within 62 days (% healed: 100%; one-sided 97.5% CI: 90-100%, median: 14 days), 82% of eyes (28/34) were healed at first re-examination (median: 13 days after treatment), and all were healed by their second examination (median: 24 days). Of the 34 treated eyes, 11 were lost to follow up; 11 of the remaining 23 eyes recurred. Estimated 1-year recurrence probability was 58% (95% CI: 35-83%). Seven dogs had systemic disease; 7 had a history of prior ocular disease or intraocular surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diamond burr debridement is a safe and effective treatment for rapid resolution of superficial corneal ulceration and ocular pain secondary to presumed corneal calcareous degeneration in dogs.
authors: All Animal Eye Services, 5 Andrew St Mount Waverley, Melbourne, Vic., 3149, Australia.
authors: Jessica C
authors: JC
authors: Nevile
authors: All Animal Eye Services, 5 Andrew St Mount Waverley, Melbourne, Vic., 3149, Australia.
authors: Simon D
authors: SD
authors: Hurn
authors: All Animal Eye Services, 5 Andrew St Mount Waverley, Melbourne, Vic., 3149, Australia.
authors: Andrew G
authors: AG
authors: Turner
authors: Jemora Pty Ltd, PO Box 2277, Geelong, Vic., 3220, Australia.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Morton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D003646:Debridement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D018130:Diamond; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000662:veterinary*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018130:Diamond
keywords: canine; corneal calcareous degeneration; diamond burr; ulceration