Autologous serum eye drops for the treatment of persistent corneal epithelial defects

A series of 10 patients at Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology, Rawalpindi, from September 2009 to August 2010 is reported. Follow-up of patients were done till February 2012. Patients with persistent corneal epithelial defects (PED) of minimum 2 weeks duration, in whom conventional therapy had failed, were included in the study. They were prescribed 100% autologous serum eye drops on hourly basis. When PED healed within 02 weeks, it was labeled as effective and when it healed within one month, it was labeled as partially effective. Six weekly follow-up was done for 18 months for all patients to document any recurrence of PED. Eight out of 10 patients had successful outcome i.e. 80% of PED healed within one month, out of which 7 patients had 'effective' outcome. Autologous serum eye drops are safe, effective and minimally invasive modality in treating PED.