Long-term Corneal Clarity After Spontaneous Repair of an Iatrogenic Descemetorhexis in a Patient With Fuchs Dystrophy

Purpose: To report a case of long-term corneal clarity after spontaneous resolution of corneal edema associated with iatrogenic endothelial trauma in a patient with Fuchs dystrophy. Methods: Retrospective case report. Results: An 84-year-old woman with Fuchs dystrophy experienced an iatrogenic descemetorhexis during complicated phacoemulsification. Despite marked early postoperative corneal edema, she experienced spontaneous clearing of her cornea within 4 months with eventual reendothelialization of the central defect. She maintained excellent visual acuity for 16 years with no evidence of recurrent corneal edema. Conclusions: Self-repair of a descemetorhexis and long-term corneal clarity may occur in eyes with underlying endothelial dystrophy.