Long-term outcome after superficial keratectomy of the abnormal epithelium for partial limbal stem cell deficiency

The destruction of limbal stem cells (LSCs) and/or the stem cell niche leads to their dysfunction or deficiency.1,2 Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is characterized by conjunctivalization, persistent or recurrent epithelial defects, ocular surface inflammation, neovascularization, and scarring.2,3 LSCD is one of the causes of corneal blindness,1 particularly in severe cases, such as total LSCD. Researchers have proposed various surgical treatments in combination with corneal transplantation, including the direct transplantation of limbal tissues,4,5 transplantation of ex vivo/in vivo expanded LSCs,6 –9 transplantation of the cultivated oral mucosal epithelium,10,11 and amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT).
Source: American Journal of Ophthalmology - Category: Opthalmology Authors: Source Type: research