[Keratoplasty à chaud as a therapeutic measure in acute corneal infections]

Over a period of 2 1/2 years penetrating keratoplasty was performed on 11 patients suffering from fulminating bacterial infection of the cornea at the florid stage, in 4 cases with perforation. Therapeutic keratoplasty is indicated for hypopyon ulcer and corneal abscess in 3 situations: (1) when the infected cornea perforates spontaneously; (2) when perforation threatens, even though the symptoms of the infection may be regressive; (3) when medication fails to change the course. Early operative intervention is to be recommended in each case. The aim of therapeutic keratoplasty is to eliminate the dangerous pathologic process in the cornea and to shorten the duration of the condition. This can be achieved with impressive speed. In some cases a primary result is attainable which is visually satisfactory and permanent, as was the case with 2 patients in the group described in this paper; as is to be expected, however, follow-up operations are often necessary and offer a second opportunity of restoring vision as well.