Albert Y. Cheung

Probable Donor-Derived Cytomegalovirus Disease After Keratolimbal Allograft Transplantation

Purpose: To report a case of probable donor-derived cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after keratolimbal allograft (KLAL) transplantation. Methods: Observational case report. Results: A 41-year-old man with a history of aniridic keratopathy and limbal stem cell deficiency underwent KLAL in his right eye. Preoperatively, he was negative for CMV IgG and IgM. Postoperatively, he was maintained on tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil for systemic immunosuppression; he was also on prophylactic valganciclovir (for CMV) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (for pneumocystis pneumonia) for 1 month. Approximately 5 weeks postoperatively, he developed a nonproductive cough, rhinorrhea, and dyspnea. His condition did not improve with oral azithromycin or levofloxacin. He developed worsening symptoms over the next 2 weeks despite therapy. The serum CMV polymerase chain reaction was positive, and he was readministered valganciclovir with subsequent resolution of symptoms. Conclusions: We present the first case of CMV disease in a seronegative patient who received a presumed CMV-seropositive donor KLAL. Similar to solid organ transplantation, prophylactic and therapeutic management of CMV infection is necessary in the setting of systemic immunosuppression.

Combined Conjunctival Limbal Autografts and Living-Related Conjunctival Limbal Allografts for Severe Unilateral Ocular Surface Failure

Purpose: To describe the technique and present 2 cases of a combined conjunctival limbal autograft (CLAU) and living-related conjunctival limbal allograft (lr-CLAL) procedure for treatment of severe unilateral ocular surface failure. Methods: Interventional case series of 2 eyes of 2 patients sustaining severe thermal/chemical injuries from firework explosions. They both underwent the combined CLAU/lr-CLAL procedure followed by penetrating keratoplasty. Systemic immunosuppression consisted of oral tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. Results: Preoperative vision was counting fingers for both patients, whereas visual acuity at last follow-up ranged between 20/40 and 20/50. Both patients maintained a stable surface at last follow-up without any episodes of rejection. Patients tolerated systemic immunosuppression well without any persistent adverse reactions. Conclusions: Certain etiologies of limbal stem cell deficiency also lead to significant conjunctival (and goblet cell) deficiency. Combined CLAU and lr-CLAL procedures maximize the amount of healthy limbal stem cells with conjunctiva while also minimizing the antigenic burden as all transplanted tissue potentially can be a complete (or near-complete), compatible HLA and crossmatch.

Globe Rupture of a Post-LASIK Keratectasia Eye From Blunt Trauma.

Purpose: To report a case of globe rupture in a patient with post–laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) ectasia after blunt trauma. Methods: Observational case report. Results: A 42-year-old man with a history of post-LASIK ectasia sustained paracentral corneal rupture secondary to blunt trauma from a fist to his left eye (OS). Slit-lamp examination revealed rupture in the posterior stroma (inferior paracentral) of the OS with an overlying intact LASIK flap; however, the inferior edges of the LASIK flap were Seidel positive. The anterior chamber was flat. Although he was initially managed with cyanoacrylate glue and a bandage contact lens, the patient eventually required tectonic penetrating keratoplasty. The postoperative course was unremarkable, and over 1 year later, the visual acuity OS was 20/25 with −7.50 + 2.00 × 0.50. Conclusions: Globe rupture from blunt trauma has not been shown to be more common in patients with a history of LASIK. Although blunt trauma to the post-LASIK globe would generally incur a similar risk of rupture to that of the normal eye, keratectasia after LASIK may predispose the globe to rupture.

Intermediate-Term and Long-Term Outcomes With the Boston Type 1 Keratoprosthesis in Aniridia

Purpose: To report the intermediate- and long-term visual outcomes and complications with the Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis (KPro) for the management of aniridic keratopathy. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 46 eyes of 34 patients (20 females and 14 males) with aniridic keratopathy who underwent Boston type 1 KPro surgery by a single surgeon from 2004 to 2012 with minimum 2-year follow-up was conducted. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative parameters were collected and analyzed. The primary outcome was the change in best-corrected visual acuity. Secondary outcomes included the rate of retroprosthetic membrane formation, glaucoma progression, glaucoma tube revisions, and KPro retention. Results: Mean age of the patients was 43.5 ± 19.8 years with a mean follow-up period of 4.5 ± 1.6 years (range 2–7.4 years). Thirty-four eyes (74%) had previously failed keratoplasty. Thirty-five eyes (76%) previously underwent ocular surface stem cell transplantation, specifically a keratolimbal allograft. Within the first 6 months postoperatively, 74% (34/46) of patients experienced a gain of ≥2 lines of vision. Overall, there was a gain of ≥2 lines of vision in 43.5% (20/46) of patients at last follow-up. The rate of retroprosthetic membrane formation was 61%, the rate of glaucoma onset/progression was 26%, the rate of tube revision was 31%, and the KPro retention rate was 87%. Conclusions: This study confirms that initial visual improvement in aniridic keratopathy cases occurs at a high rate with the Boston type 1 KPro but also found progressive loss of these initial visual improvements.