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Corneal Donor Tissue Preparation for Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty
Published on: September 17, 2014
Endothelial cell loss after autologous rotational keratoplasty
Florian Birnbaum1, Thomas Reinhard, Daniel Böhringer
1Eye Hospital, Albert Ludwigs University, 79106 Freiburg, Germany. birnbaum@aug.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
Purpose:
To investigate whether it may be possible to ascertain the influence of immunological factors on chronic endothelial cell loss by comparing chronic endothelial cell loss after autologous rotational penetrating keratoplasty and after homologous penetrating keratoplasty.
Methods:
For six patients who had undergone autologous rotational penetrating keratoplasty the relative annual loss of endothelial cells was calculated by means of an exponential regression analysis. The findings were compared with those in a homogeneous historical control group (53 patients undergoing homologous penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus).
Results:
After autologous rotational keratoplasty relative annual loss of endothelial cells was 1.1%+/-2.6% (mean +/- standard deviation). Relative annual loss of endothelial cells in the control-group was 16.7%+/-20.8%.
Conclusions:
The results of the study lead to the assumption that immunological influences might be the main cause for chronic endothelial cell loss after homologous penetrating keratoplasty.
