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Novel technique of corneal biopsy by using a femtosecond laser in infectious ulcers
Jin-Hyoung Kim1, Jung-Hoon Yum, Doh Lee
1Department of Ophthalmology, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Koyang, Korea. jhk0924@hanmail.net
Purpose:
To describe femtosecond laser-assisted corneal biopsy and its use in assessing the causative organisms in 2 cases of infectious corneal ulcers.
Methods:
A 27-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, both of whom showed uncertain symptoms, repeated negative test results for infectious organisms, and after no improvement despite empirical therapy, underwent diagnostic corneal biopsy by using a femtosecond laser. A corneal flap depth of 200 microm and a diameter of 3 mm were obtained from each patient.
Results:
The biopsy specimen from the male patient showed pseudohyphae, which led to a diagnosis of candidal keratitis. The biopsy specimen from the female patient showed positive Gram stain and no evidence of fungal ulcers and yielded a culture of Streptococcus viridans. No complications occurred during either procedure.
Conclusions:
Femtosecond laser-assisted corneal biopsy enabled identification of the infectious pathogen in both patients. This technique is easy, safe, and rapid, and it yields a biopsy specimen with a uniform depth and precise size. Femtosecond laser-assisted corneal biopsy can be used as an accurate diagnostic method in uncertain cases of corneal ulcers.
