title: Immediate effects of diamond burr debridement in patients with spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects, light and electron microscopic evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate immediate effects of diamond burr debridement (DBD) on the cornea of canine patients diagnosed with spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCEDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight client owned dogs with SCCEDs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine eyes from eight dogs with SCCEDs underwent superficial keratectomy (SK). The ulcerated area was divided into quadrants with a 300-micron restricted depth knife. Two of four quadrants underwent DBD for 40-60 s. A SK followed immediately. One burred section and one nonburred section were fixed with formaldehyde 10% and underwent light microscopy (LM). The remaining quadrants from five eyes were fixed with glutaraldehyde 2.5% and underwent transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Masked pathologists evaluated the samples. A student's paired t-test was used to analyze the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With LM all nonburred samples had a superficial stromal hyaline acellular zone (HAZ), seven of the burred samples had an intermittent HAZ and in two burred samples this zone was absent. The HAZ thickness of burred samples (1.062 ± 0.664 μm) was significantly thinner than that of the nonburred samples (4.309 ± 1.348 μm) (P < 0.0001). Transmission electron microscopy showed an absence of basement membrane and the presence of an amorphous, fine fibrillar material in the superficial stroma in nonburred samples. This material was intermittent or absent in burred samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DBD significantly reduces the superficial stromal HAZ in SCCEDs. A reduction of its thickness may be responsible for the healing rates reported with DBD.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Service, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, AL9 7TA, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9974-1244
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.|Ocular Pathology Specialists, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naranjo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
authors.forename: Belen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Maldonado
authors.affiliation: Davies Veterinary Specialists, Manor Farm Business Park, Higham Gobion, Herts, SG5 3HR, UK.
authors.forename: Georgina V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Fricker
authors.affiliation: Davies Veterinary Specialists, Manor Farm Business Park, Higham Gobion, Herts, SG5 3HR, UK.
authors.forename: Rose N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Linn-Pearl
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Service, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, AL9 7TA, UK.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Escanilla
authors.affiliation: Davies Veterinary Specialists, Manor Farm Business Park, Higham Gobion, Herts, SG5 3HR, UK.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kafarnik
authors.affiliation: Davies Veterinary Specialists, Manor Farm Business Park, Higham Gobion, Herts, SG5 3HR, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Service, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, AL9 7TA, UK.
authors.forename: Rick F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Service, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, AL9 7TA, UK.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matas-Riera
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D003646:Debridement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008853:Microscopy / Q000662:veterinary; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: canine; cornea; diamond burr; spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects; superficial keratectomy; ulcer