Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate whether wound healing of the corneal epithelium at the flap margin influences development of diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). METHODS: We examined prospectively 1928 eyes of 994 patients after LASIK. Condition of wound healing at the flap margin 1 day after LASIK was graded as gutter score from 0 to 3, according to the extent of fluorescein staining. Existence of DLK, gutter score, and the location of DLK and gutter were evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-eight eyes (3.5%) developed DLK. The average gutter score was significantly higher in patients with DLK compared to those without DLK (P<.001). The location of DLK was identical to the location of gutter in 44 eyes (77.2%). CONCLUSION: Disruption of integrity of the epithelial barrier function at the flap margin was associcated with diffuse lamellar keratitis after laser in situ keratomileusis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 30-33 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Journal of Refractive Surgery |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2003 Jan |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ophthalmology