Recurrence of Mooren's ulcer after lamellar keratoplasty

A 45-year-old man with unilateral Mooren's ulcer in a quiescent state underwent annular lamellar keratoplasty after corneal rupture due to minor trauma. Postoperatively, he did well until 8 months later when a recurrence of the Mooren's ulceration occurred, involving the central island of the patient's original corneal stroma. The stroma of the lamellar graft was uninvolved. This unusual occurrence lends support to the concept that there is a specific immunologic reaction to the cornea in patients with Mooren's ulcer.