[Etiology of irreversible transplant opacity in the first year after perforating keratoplasty].

PROBLEM

The reasons for corneal graft failure during the first postoperative year were examined.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The functional and morphological parameters were recorded prospectively on 210 eyes with penetrating keratoplasty postoperatively after 1, 4 and 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

1 month postoperatively one graft, 4 months after surgery 5 grafts, and 12 months after keratoplasty 15 grafts had failed. The reasons were: 3 cases of irreversible rejection, 4 retrocorneal membranes, 4 persisting corneal erosions with ulceration, and 4 stromal infections (3 Herpes, 1 Akanthamoeba). During the first postoperative year, in our patients corneal graft rejection was a rare event accounting for 3 of 15 graft failures with an incidence of 1.4% in all grafts studied.