J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2008 Sep;49(9):1525-1531.

Corneal Opacity Caused by LASEK with Improper High-concentrated Mitomycin-C

• Kim SJ
• Lee MH
• Kim EH
• Lee JS

Abstract

PURPOSE
To report a case of corneal opacity with postoperative changes of topographic features and visual acuity after laser subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) treated with an improper concentration of mitomycin-C.
CASE SUMMARY
A 25-year-old female patient who experienced corneal opacity after LASEK treated with mitomycin-C was evaluated for changes in corneal opacity by photography, central corneal power by Orb scan uz, and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) over the period of 1 year. The corneal epithelial defect was completely healed 2 weeks after the LASEK operation. Subepithelial and stromal opacity decreased over time, but her cornea did not return to normal. BCVA was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye at postoperative 1 year, but stromal opacity remained.
CONCLUSIONS
An improper concentration of mitomycin-C during LASEK could result in corneal opacity. Long time is needed to recover visual acuity and a normal corneal structure.

Keyword

Corneal opacity; LASEK; Mitomycin-C

MeSH Terms

Adult
Cornea
Corneal Opacity
Eye
Female
Humans
Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted
Mitomycin
Photography
Visual Acuity
Mitomycin

Figure

• 

  Figure 1. Photographs showing corneal epithelial defect and corneal opacity at 10 days (A), 16 days (B), and 8 months (C) after LASEK. Epithelial defect was healed 2 weeks after LASEK and subepithelial stromal opacity faded and almost disappeared 6 months after surgery (OD=right eye; OS=left eye).

• 

  Figure 2. Orbscan showing corneal astigmatism before (upper) and 1 year after (lower) LASEK. At 1 year after LASEK, irregular astigmatism produced by surgery reduced considerably.

Reference

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