Diagnostic Algorithm for Surgical Management of Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) poses significant clinical challenges.
• A standardized diagnostic approach for LSCD is currently lacking, hindering effective surgical planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key diagnostic factors for LSCD.
• To develop a systematic diagnostic algorithm and surgical guidelines for LSCD management.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 34 LSCD patient records.
• Evaluation of standard and advanced ophthalmic diagnostic modalities.
• Correlation of diagnostic findings with surgical interventions.

Main Results:

• Standard ophthalmic exams diagnosed LSCD in 58.8% of cases; advanced methods were required for 41.2%.
• Surgical strategies included glueless simple limbal epithelial transplantation (G-SLET), lamellar keratoplasty, and paralimbal oral mucosa epithelium transplantation (pLOMET).

Conclusions:

• Key diagnostic points for LSCD were identified.
• A novel step-by-step diagnostic algorithm and surgical guidelines for LSCD were proposed.
• The findings aim to guide surgeons in selecting optimal surgical procedures for LSCD patients.