TY - JOUR
T1 - Lacrimal punctal occlusion for the treatment of superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis
AU - Yang, H. Y.
AU - Fujishima, H.
AU - Toda, I.
AU - Shimazaki, J.
AU - Tsubota, K.
PY - 1997/1/1
Y1 - 1997/1/1
N2 - PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis is caused by insufficient tear supply to the superior keratoconjunctiva. METHODS: We used cautery and sutures to permanently occlude the lacrimal puncta of 11 patients (22 eyes) with superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis for whom topical treatment was ineffective. RESULTS: All 11 patients (22 eyes) responded favorably to lacrimal punctal occlusion. After lacrimal punctal occlusion, rose bengal and fluorescein staining (both on a scale of 0 [no staining] to 9 [complete staining]) were reduced (mean ± SD, 2.7 ± 1.6 to 1.1 ± 1.8 and 1.4 ± 1.2 to 0.4 ± 0.8, respectively). Impression cytology disclosed improvement of squamous metaplasia in the superior conjunctiva as well as increased goblet cells in nine of 13 eyes (69%) examined. Subjective symptoms improved in all 22 eyes (100%). CONCLUSIONS: Improvement of local tear deficiency to the superior limic portion by punctal occlusion was an effective treatment in this small series. Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis might be caused by the insufficient local tear supply.
AB - PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis is caused by insufficient tear supply to the superior keratoconjunctiva. METHODS: We used cautery and sutures to permanently occlude the lacrimal puncta of 11 patients (22 eyes) with superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis for whom topical treatment was ineffective. RESULTS: All 11 patients (22 eyes) responded favorably to lacrimal punctal occlusion. After lacrimal punctal occlusion, rose bengal and fluorescein staining (both on a scale of 0 [no staining] to 9 [complete staining]) were reduced (mean ± SD, 2.7 ± 1.6 to 1.1 ± 1.8 and 1.4 ± 1.2 to 0.4 ± 0.8, respectively). Impression cytology disclosed improvement of squamous metaplasia in the superior conjunctiva as well as increased goblet cells in nine of 13 eyes (69%) examined. Subjective symptoms improved in all 22 eyes (100%). CONCLUSIONS: Improvement of local tear deficiency to the superior limic portion by punctal occlusion was an effective treatment in this small series. Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis might be caused by the insufficient local tear supply.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0002-9394(14)71647-2
DO - 10.1016/S0002-9394(14)71647-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 9222236
AN - SCOPUS:0030792117
VL - 124
SP - 80
EP - 87
JO - American Journal of Ophthalmology
JF - American Journal of Ophthalmology
SN - 0002-9394
IS - 1
ER -