Incidence of recipient Descemet membrane remnants at the donor-to-stromal interface after descemetorhexis in endothelial keratoplasty

• Published in: British journal of ophthalmology Vol. 94; no. 12; pp. 1689 - 1690
• Main Authors: Dapena, Isabel, Ham, Lisanne, Moutsouris, Kyros, Melles, Gerrit R J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JR BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.12.2010; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; cornea; Corneal Transplantation; Descemet Membrane - pathology; Descemet Membrane - surgery; Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK); Descemetorhexis; dystrophy; endothelium; Endothelium, Corneal - surgery; Endothelium, Corneal - transplantation; Fuchs endothelial dystrophy; Humans; Keratoplasty, Penetrating; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Ophthalmology; Surgery; Treatment; Donor; Keratoplasty; Surgery; Stroma; Recipient; Ophthalmology; Descemet membrane; Incidence
• ISSN: 0007-1161; 1468-2079
• DOI: 10.1136/bjo.2010.186189

1 Removal of the recipient Descemet membrane (DM) may be an important step in endothelial keratoplasty, because the procedures are predominantly performed for Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, a corneal disorder characterised by guttatae, that is, collagenous Hassall-Henle warts in DM. Since these guttatae themselves may cause reduced visual acuity, incomplete removal of the pathological DM may compromise the optical performance of the cornea after transplantation. 1 Recently, we observed two eyes that showed guttata-like abnormalities after DMEK ( figure 1 ), suggesting that large areas of recipient DM remained in situ despite the performance of a 'complete' descemetorhexis during surgery.