J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2001 Nov;42(11):1626-1631.

Suspected Fungal Keratitis After LASIK: Treated with Flap Removal and Medical Therapy

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE: Infectious keratitis is a rare but serious vision- threatening potential complication which occurs after corneal refractive surgery. After LASIK, the risk of corneal infection is lower than that of after PRK which induces the presence of a large epithelial defect. But once the infectious keratitis after LASIK develops, treatment may be very difficult.
METHODS
We experienced a case of suspected fungal keratitis which developed 6 weeks after LASIK in a 29- year old woman, who had central corneal opacity. There was no clinical improvement after antifungal therapy. The corneal flap was removed to improve antibiotic penetration and the stromal bed was irrigated. And antifungal medication continued .
RESULTS
After 2 months of treatment, we could find progressive improvement of infection, but the central corneal scar and neovascularization remained.
CONCLUSION
The treatment of fungal keratitis under the corneal flap which occurs after LASIK is difficult because the irreversibly damaged corneal flap forms a barrier against antibiotic penetration. So treatment after flap removal may be necessary for an effective medical therapy.

Keyword

Flap removal; Fungal keratitis; LASIK

MeSH Terms

Cicatrix
Corneal Opacity
Female
Humans
Keratitis*
Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ*
Refractive Surgical Procedures
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