Penetrating keratoplasty in infants and children

Abstract

lmology a I n this issue of the Journal of AAPOS, Dr and colleagues present one of the largest tive series published on primary pediat plasty. This work brings out a number of impo regarding keratoplasty in children and reinforc the principles that are used in corneal transpl infants and children. The relatively favorabl this study are skewed somewhat by the large eyes with congenital hereditary endothelial (CHED). When pediatric keratoplasty was per other reasons, patients had a greater inciden failure comparable with that of other larger se tients. Even when technically successful, p keratoplasty infrequently led to good long-t function in these children. The report of Al-G reaffirms the graft survival and poor visual fun come described in most other series. Penetrating keratoplasty in children can be m divided into 2 age groups: those with childre than 2 years of age and those comprising chi than 2 years of age. As demonstrated by th penetrating keratoplasty in patients younger th of age is technically more difficult, and the i quently have concomitant eye disease, which r multaneous or subsequent procedures, whic much higher rates of graft rejection and/or fa pared with older children. Visual rehabilitation very difficult in this age group, and poor visual common, even with clear grafts. The indication for surgery is an important p success in pediatric corneal transplantation. T dren with CHEDs have the highest rate of Al-Ghamdi et al’s study, 21% of the eyes had C graft failure rate was 14% in this group, wh cantly improved the overall graft survival rate in and compares favorably against other series. did not have a category for urgent or emergenc ing keratoplasty for corneal melt or impendin tion, which represent a small but important pediatric penetrating keratoplasties and which h