Clinical evaluation of fibronectin eyedrops on epithelial disorders after herpetic keratitis.

The clinical efficacy was investigated of fibronectin eyedrops on the nonhealing corneal epithelial defect after herpetic keratitis. Fibronectin eyedrops were prepared from the patient's own blood plasma by an affinity chromatography using gelatin-coupled agarose gel and by gel filtration technique. Twenty eyes with metaherpetic trophic ulcer with persistent epithelial defect that had not responded to conventional therapy were treated by the instillation of fibronectin eyedrops 6 times a day. The mean +/- standard deviation duration of epithelial defect was 61.5 +/- 66.1 days. The epithelial defects healed within 15.6 +/- 12.4 days. These results suggest that fibronectin eyedrops are a possible effective therapeutic approach in nonhealing corneal epithelial defect after herpetic keratitis.