[Corneal puncture in recurrent corneal erosion].

On the long term, conventional therapy of recurrent erosion (posttraumatic, dystrophic, idiopathic) by patching, bandage lenses and debridement often does not avoid recurrences. Between February 1990 and June 1992 we performed anterior stromal punctures in 47 eyes of 45 patients with recurrent erosion which had not responded to conventional therapy. Our current results during an average follow-up period of 12 months are: 1. Anterior stromal puncture is a safe procedure if exerted under the operation microscope. In our patients perforations did not occur. 2. Neither early postoperative complications, e.g. corneal ulcers, nor long-term postoperative complications, e.g. vision limiting severe stromal scars, could be observed. 3. About 81% of our patients experienced no further recurrence. Another 11% benefitted from significant reduction of recurrences. Therapeutic response was equally good in patients with dystrophic as well as in patients with posttraumatic recurrent erosion. Therefore anterior stromal puncture, if exerted properly, represents a safe and effective therapy in patients with recurrent erosion. For a final judgement much larger groups of patients must be treated in controlled studies and a much longer follow-up period is necessary.