Granular corneal dystrophy recurrence at the posterior graft-host interface after type 1 big bubble deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty.

PURPOSE

To describe our observations of granular corneal dystrophy (GCD) recurrence isolated to the posterior graft-host interface after type 1 big bubble (BB) deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK).

OBSERVATIONS

We performed a retrospective chart review of 3 eyes in 2 patients, and literature review to summarize GCD recurrence patterns after DALK. A 29-year-old man with GCD underwent DALK by type 1 BB technique. Three years following surgery, he was found to have recurrence of GCD deposits isolated to the posterior graft-host interface. Similarly, a 53-year-old woman with GCD underwent DALK by BB type 1 technique, and was noted to have trace residual deposits at the posterior graft-host interface that increased in number and size over the course of 6 years. Her fellow eye underwent DALK with type 2 BB formation, without evidence of graft-host interface recurrence over a four year period. Our literature review describes the recurrence patterns of 18 cases of GCD following DALK.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE

DALK can be prone to GCD recurrence in the central posterior graft-host interface. Recurrent deposits isolated to the posterior graft-host interface following type 1 BB DALK supports the hypothesis that GCD recurrence may be due to residual pathologic keratocytes in the pre-Descemet layer (PDL).