Partial Scleral Rupture Presenting 4 Years After Laser in Situ Keratomileusis

To report a case of partial scleral rupture after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery.

This is a retrospective case report describing a late complication of LASIK surgery.

A 32-year-old white woman with a history of LASIK surgery performed with a mechanical microkeratome 4 years previously presented for evaluation of partial bilateral scleral ruptures. An arcuate filtering bleb along the contour of the cornea was found on the right eye with associated hypotony and corneal astigmatism. There were no signs or symptoms of prior inflammation, and rheumatologic workup was negative. Imaging revealed scleral microbreaks in the absence of adjacent thinning.

The pattern and location of thinning without findings consistent with inflammatory disease suggest that the partial bilateral scleral rupture was because of mechanical damage at the time of LASIK, possibly compounded by the hormonal changes of pregnancy.