Corneal Descemetocele Management with Multi-Layer Amniotic Membrane Transplantation in an Ocular Graft-versus-Host Disease Case

<i>Background</i>: Chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) is a common ocular complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), characterized by progressive inflammation of the ocular surface and refractory dry eye. In severe cases, sterile c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yunjiao He, Hiufong Wong, Jianjun Gu, Lixia Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-09-01
Series:Medicina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/59/10/1733
Description
Summary:<i>Background</i>: Chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) is a common ocular complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), characterized by progressive inflammation of the ocular surface and refractory dry eye. In severe cases, sterile corneal perforation can occur, which poses a significant challenge, due to the low survival rate of grafts after corneal transplantation. <i>Case Presentation</i>: A 47-year-old female presented to our hospital with persistent dryness, foreign body sensation, and blurred vision in her left eye. Diagnosis of graft-versus-host disease with corneal descemetocele in the left eye was made after detailed history review and thorough examination. Multi-layer amniotic membrane transplantation was performed in the affected eye, resulting in amelioration of the patient’s symptoms. This amelioration of symptoms provided the patient with a level of comfort that permitted additional time while awaiting corneal transplantation. <i>Conclusions</i>: We report a successful case of multi-layer amniotic membrane transplantation for the management of corneal descemetocele following allo-HSCT.
ISSN:1010-660X
1648-9144