Management of Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defects with Human Amniotic Membrane-derived Dry Matrix.

OBJECTIVE

To report the outcomes of using human amniotic membrane-derived dry matrix (AMDDM) in the management of persistent corneal epithelial defects (PEDs) of various etiologies.

METHODS

A cohort study of 84 patients age range 7 to 92 years with 93 PEDs were treated with AMDDM (Omnigen using OmniLenz at two centers (Queen Victoria Hospital and Maidstone Hospital) in the UK. The main outcome measures were healing response of PED and time to heal after application of AMDDM.

RESULTS

A total of 106 applications of AMDDM were recorded for 81 patients (52 males, 29 females) with a spectrum of different etiologies. Fifty-eight percent of the eyes showed complete healing, and 28% showed partial decrease of the size of PEDs with average treatment length recorded as 22.4±12.3 days. In patients with limbal stem cell deficiency (n=44; aniridia=12, chemical injury=9, Stevens-Johnson syndrome=10), 50% of PEDs showed complete healing and 27% showed partial healing. In patients with microbial keratitis (n=21) (bacterial: 13, fungal: 4, herpetic: 3, : 1) 57% of PEDs showed complete healing and 33% were partially healed. In patients with keratoplasty (n=16), 56% of PEDs showed complete healing and 31% were partially healed. Vision remained stable in 59% and improved in 27% of the study the population.

CONCLUSION

AMDDM can be easily applied in the clinical setting and has demonstrated its efficiency as a new tool to treat persistent epithelial defects.