Kinetics of corneal epithelial regeneration. II. Epidermal growth factor and topical corticosteroids.

The kinetics of rabbit corneal epithelium regeneration were studied to determine if topical corticosteroid has an adverse effect on corneal epithelial wound healing, and if epidermal growth factor (EGF) can abrogate any adverse effect of topical corticosteroid. Healing of standardized 7 mm. central corneal epithelial wounds was determined by serial standardized color photography of the flourescein-stained defects and planimetry of the projected photographs. It has been found that topical application of 16 drops per day of vehicle or Decadron decreased the epithelial healing rate, as compared to saline drops four times daily. Decadron 0.1 per cent given hourly (16 drops daily) was no more detrimental to corneal epithelial healing rate than the vehicle similarly applied. EGF exhibited no capacity to alter the corneal epithelial healing rate when hourly drops of either the vehicle or Decadron 0.1 per cent were given. Under the conditions of these experiments, no adverse effect on corneal epithelial healing rate could be attributed to Decadron 0.1 per cent.