Introduction: A range of ocular surface disorders can in severe cases cause devastating limbal stem cell deficiency, a disease, which frequently leads to painful visual loss. Severe and sight-threatening ocular surface disorders are difficult to manage and without an effective treatment they importantly add to the number of corneal blindness cases each year worldwide.Areas covered: A systematic literature search of the Medline/PubMed database was performed in August 2016 on the updates in the field of limbal stem cell deficiency disease and ocular surface reconstruction. Therefore, this review provides an update on current treatment options and perspectives in the treatment of debilitating ocular surface disorders.Expert commentary: To date, surgical options for vision restoration in severe limbal stem cell deficiency can be broadly classified in stem cell-based approaches (conventional direct tissue transplantation and cultured techniques), which can be combined with simultaneous or a two-step keratoplasty procedure and approaches with keratoprosthesis implantation. Although significant progress has been made, each treatment strategy still faces some challenges, such as graft rejection and long-term immunosuppression in the case of allogeneic limbal transplantation, and the development of infectious endophthalmitis and glaucoma in the case of keratoprosthetic devices.
Ocular surface reconstruction in limbal stem cell deficiency: current treatment options and perspectives
Ferrari S.;Ponzin D.;
2017
Abstract
Introduction: A range of ocular surface disorders can in severe cases cause devastating limbal stem cell deficiency, a disease, which frequently leads to painful visual loss. Severe and sight-threatening ocular surface disorders are difficult to manage and without an effective treatment they importantly add to the number of corneal blindness cases each year worldwide.Areas covered: A systematic literature search of the Medline/PubMed database was performed in August 2016 on the updates in the field of limbal stem cell deficiency disease and ocular surface reconstruction. Therefore, this review provides an update on current treatment options and perspectives in the treatment of debilitating ocular surface disorders.Expert commentary: To date, surgical options for vision restoration in severe limbal stem cell deficiency can be broadly classified in stem cell-based approaches (conventional direct tissue transplantation and cultured techniques), which can be combined with simultaneous or a two-step keratoplasty procedure and approaches with keratoprosthesis implantation. Although significant progress has been made, each treatment strategy still faces some challenges, such as graft rejection and long-term immunosuppression in the case of allogeneic limbal transplantation, and the development of infectious endophthalmitis and glaucoma in the case of keratoprosthetic devices.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
