title: Ocular surface reconstruction in limbal stem cell deficiency.
abstract: The purpose of our review was to familiarize the readers with the new concepts in ocular surface diseases and reconstruction. Limbal stem cell deficiency is characterized by the progressive invasion of conjunctival epithelial cells onto the cornea, superficial vascularisation, destruction of the corneal basement membrane, and chronic inflammatory cell infiltration. Depending on the severity of the disease and the time passed from the primary injury amniotic membrane transplantation, keratolimbal allograft and autograft are the available treatments hoping that, in the nearest future, stem cell transplantation and tissue engineering will become the usual therapeutic choices.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gheorghe
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pop
authors.forename: Fildis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mrini
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barac
authors.forename: Iulia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vargau
mesh_terms: D000650:Amnion / Q000637:transplantation*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D016510:Corneal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D018450:Disease Progression; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000473:pathology*; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome