Amniotic membrane transplantation in bacterial and herpetic stromal keratitis.

BACKGROUND/AIM The aim of this study was to describe the results of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) in patients with bacterial and herpetic stromal keratitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a retrospective chart review study including 42 patients with herpetic keratitis (group 1) and 42 patients with bacterial keratitis (group 2). AMT was performed in addition to antimicrobial therapy. Topical steroids were administered after surgery. The outcome parameters evaluated were epithelialization time, decrease of stromal inflammation, and uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA). RESULTS The average age of our patients was 55.85 ± 19.07 years, and average follow-up was 14.70 ± 11.75 months. The period of epithelialization was 19.23 ± 7.32 days in the herpetic group and 19.31 ± 6.30 days in the bacterial group. Descemetocele developed in 2 patients of the herpetic group. Other patients in both groups completed epithelialization after AMT procedures with varying amounts of corneal scarring. The bacterial group showed an improvement in UCVA, but the herpetic group showed no improvement in UCVA. CONCLUSION AMT is a convenient approach for the treatment of corneal keratitis resistant to conventional treatment and allows the use of early topical steroid application. It provides patients with corneal scarring an opportunity for subsequent keratoplasty by arresting the inflammatory response.