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Published on: July 6, 2015
Postkeratoplasty keratoconus in a nonkeratoconus patient
D Krivoy1, S McCormick, G W Zaidman
1Department of Ophthalmology, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York 10595, USA.
Purpose:
To determine whether postkeratoplasty keratoconus is caused by a recurrence of the host disease or transferred from the donor.
Methods:
Penetrating keratoplasty was performed on the right eye of a 73-year-old woman with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy; her other eye was normal. After keratoplasty, visual acuity decreased secondary to the appearance of irregular astigmatism, central corneal thinning, and stromal striae in the graft. A repeat keratoplasty was performed. Clinical corneal topographic analysis and histopathologic studies were performed.
Results:
Clinical findings and histopathology of the corneal graft were consistent with keratoconus. The second graft has remained clear for 2 years without signs of keratoconus.
Conclusion:
Classic keratoconus developed in a corneal graft in a patient without preexisting keratoconus. This supports the theory that postkeratoplasty keratoconus may be secondary to transfer of the disease from the donor.
