Anterior stromal puncture for recurrent erosion: further experience and new instrumentation.

Anterior stromal puncture has recently been proposed as a new treatment for recalcitrant cases of recurrent corneal erosion. Concerns about the risks of corneal perforation and scarring, as well as doubts regarding its efficacy have prevented many patients from benefiting from this procedure. We introduce a new, inexpensive, commercially available instrument designed to standardize this technique, minimize scarring, and prevent corneal perforation. In a clinical trial involving 25 consecutive patients with recurrent erosions resistant to vigorous conservative treatment, the first 11 patients underwent stromal puncture in which a straight tuberculin needle was used; the following 14 were treated with a newly designed prototype needle. All patients in this series remained free of erosions after completion of stromal puncture, except for one woman with marked diffuse anterior basement membrane dystrophy, who went on to develop spontaneous bilateral erosions. Follow-up ranged from 2 months to 30 months (mean, 13 months). There were no complications of stromal puncture, and subjective and objective evaluations revealed no significant postoperative glare. Microscopic analysis of eye bank eyes subjected to anterior stromal puncture procedures demonstrated that the new prototype needle provided shallower penetration and thus less likelihood of perforation or excessive scarring than the straight needle. Also, postoperative discomfort and scarring appeared to be significantly less in patients treated with the prototype needle.