[Traumatic wound dehiscence after keratoplasty]

To assess the patient characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty wound dehiscence.

Retrospective chart review of 11 eyes of 11 patients with corneal grafts who underwent repair of penetrating keratoplasty wound dehiscence from January 1986 to January 2006 in the Ophthalmology Department at the Besançon Minjoz Hospital (France).

The mean time between penetrating keratoplasty and wound dehiscence was 3.3 years (range, 1-140 months). In all cases, dehiscence involved the junction between graft and host. The mean age at time of wound dehiscence was 47 years (range, 23-89 years). Falls were the most common mechanism of trauma, especially in the elderly population. There was a wide range of visual outcomes in the 11 patients, with six patients with best corrected visual acuity less than 1/20. There were no cases of endophthalmitis.

Patients with corneal transplants have a life-long risk for wound traumatic dehiscence. This complication may be reduced by the regular use of eye protection by all corneal transplantation patients.