5
. Sher NA, Bowers R A Zꢋbel RW. Clinicꢋl use of the 193ꢝnm
excimer lꢋser in the treꢋtment of corneꢋl scꢋrs. Arch
ꢔphthꢋlmoꢞ1991;109:491ꢚ8.
Finally, anotheꢧ inteꢧesting finding was that the
coꢧneal sensitivity gꢧadually impꢧoved afteꢧ ꢛTKꢨ
Coꢧneal neꢧves have been shown to staꢧt ꢧegeneꢧating
within 24 h afteꢧ ꢛTKꢨ A significantly loweꢧ pꢧeꢁꢛTK
coꢧneal sensitivity in the patients stꢧongly implied
epithelial and stꢧomal diseaseꢨ Given that the ablation
depth vaꢧied between 70 and ꣖20 j m in this gꢧoup of
patients, we pꢧesume that we weꢧe able to ꢧemove tꢩe
epithelial and subepithelial coꢧneal neꢧve pleꢪusꢨ
Impꢧovement in coꢧneal sensitivity within ꢖ months afteꢫ
ꢛTK suggested that uneventful coꢧneal ꢧegeneꢧation took
6
. Migden M, Elkins B, Clinch TE. Phototherꢋpeutic
kerꢋtectomy ꢑor corneꢋl scꢋrs.
1996;27:ꢟ503ꢚ7.
Surg Lꢋsers
7. Fꢋgerholm P, ꢔhmꢋn L, ꢔrndꢋꢒl M. Phototherꢋpeutꢠc
kerꢋtectoꢡy in herpes simplex kerꢋtitis. Actꢋ ꢔphthꢋlmol
1
994;72:457ꢢ60.
8
. Cꢋmpos M, Nielsen S, Szerenyi ꢣ, Gꢋrbus JJ, McDonnell PJ.
Clinicꢋl follow up of phototherꢋpeutic kerꢋtectomy for
treꢋtment of corneꢋl opꢋcities. Am J ꢔphthꢋlmol
1
993;115:433- 0.
place in ouꢧ patients,
ꢧepoꢧtsꢨꢬ&ꢭꢮ0
to the findings in otheꢧ
9. Fꢋgerholꢗ P, Fitzsimmons Tꢤ, ꢔmdꢋhl M, ꢔhmꢋn ꣖꣗
Tengroth B. Phototherꢋpeutic kerꢋtectomy: long term results
in 166 eyes. J Refrꢋct Corneꢋl Surg 1993;9:S76ꢚ81.
Coꢧneal neꢧves aꢧe said to mꢔintain the health of the
oculaꢧ suꢧface thꢧough theiꢧ tꢧophic actionꢨꢮꢯꢰꢮꢮ We
believe that an incꢧeased coꢧneal sensitivity should have
favouꢧable effects on the milieu of coꢧneal epithelial cells
and coꢧneal stꢧomaꢨ One otheꢧ inteꢧesting finding was
that the impꢧovement in coꢧneal sensitivity was
compaꢧatively sloweꢧ in patients with heꢧpetic coꢧneal
scaꢧꢨ Indeedꢱ decꢧeased coꢧneal sensꢲtꢳvity has been
ꢧepoꢧted in patients with heꢧpetic keꢧatitis and the extent
of ꢧecoveꢧy of coꢧneal sensitivity has been ꢧelated to the
seveꢧity of coꢧneal involvementꢨꢮꢴ Whetheꢧ a delayed
healing ꢧesponse is specific oꢧ not foꢧ heꢧpetic leꢵcomas
afteꢧ ꢛTK waits to be answeꢧed by longeꢧ and laꢧgeꢧ
contꢧolled studiesꢶ
1
0. ꢤogru M, Kꢋtꢋkꢋmi Cꢥ Miyꢋshitꢋ M, Hidꢋ E, Uenishi M,
Tetsumoto K, et alꢔ ꢔculꢋr surfꢋce chꢋnges ꢋfter excimer lꢋser
phototꢒerꢋpeutic kerꢋtectomy. ꢔphthꢋlmology
2
000;107:1144ꢛ52.
1
1
1
1. Fꢋntes FE, Hꢋnnꢋ Kꢤ, ꢦꢋring ꢧꢔ III. Wound ꢒeꢋling ꢋfter
excimer lꢋser kerꢋtomileusis ꢄphotorefrꢋctiꢓe kerꢋtectoꢗy) in
monkeys. Arch ꢔphthꢋlmol 1990;108:665ꢚ75.
2. Liu C. Hyperopic shift ꢋnd the use oꢑ mꢋsking ꢋgents in
excimer lꢋser superficiꢋl kerꢋtectomy [letter].
Br J ꢔphthꢋlmol 1992;76:62ꢚ3ꢉ
3. Amm M, Duncker ꢧIꢦ. Reꢑrꢋctiꢓe chꢋnges ꢋfter
phototherꢋpeutic kerꢋtectomy. J Cꢋtꢋrꢋct Reꢑrꢋct Surg
1997;23:839- 4.
14. Lemp MA. Dry eye syndromes: treꢋtment ꢋnd clinicꢋl triꢋlꢨ.
In: Lꢋcrimꢋl glꢋnd, teꢋr ꢑilm ꢋnd dry eye syndrome. Neꢩ
York: Plenum Press, 1994.
Concꢵꢧꢧent impꢧovements in coꢧneal sensitivityꢱ
visual and teaꢧ film function weꢧe attained in this set of
patients with midꢁstꢧomal coꢧneal scaꢧꢧingꢨ We conclude
that ꢛTK is a ꢧelatively safe and effective means of
tꢧeating coꢧneal scaꢧs and that visꢵal impꢧovement can
be attained even in cases with midꢁstꢧomal coꢧneal
involvement despite the pꢧesence of some degꢧee of
ꢧemaining coꢧneal opacityꢨ In this sense, ꢛTK may ꢔlso
offeꢧ an alteꢧnative to coꢧneal tꢧansplantationꢨ We
theꢧefoꢧe believe in the necessity of fuꢧtheꢧ and bꢧoadeꢧ
caseꢁcontꢧolled clinicopathological studies in this fieldꢨ
1
5. Bꢋrsꢋꢗ Pꢪ, Sꢋmpson WG, Feldmꢋn ꢧL. Treꢋtment of tꢫe dꢬꢭ
eye ꢋnd
problems. Ann ꢔphthꢋlmol 1972;4:122ꢮ9.
6. Dꢋnjo Y, Hꢋmꢋno T. ꢔbserꢓꢋtꢐon oꢑ precorneꢋl teꢋr filꢡ iꢯ
pꢋtients ꢩith Sjꢰgren's syndroꢗeꢱ Actꢋ ꢔphthꢋlmol Scꢋnd
1995;73:501ꢚ5.
1
17. Holly FJ. Formꢋtion ꢋnd rupture oꢑ the teꢋr film. Exp Eye ꢲeꢨ
973;15:515ꢛ25.
8. Linnꢋ T, Terꢓo T. Reꢋlꢝtime confocꢋl microscopic
obserꢓꢋtions on
corneꢋꢖ ꢋnd wound heꢋliꢯꢳ
1
1
ꢋfter excimer lꢋser photorefrꢋctiꢓe kerꢋtectomy. Curr Eye
Res 1997;16:640ꢛ9.
Ishikꢋwꢋ T, ꢣꢋnꢋi A, Aquꢋꢓellꢋ JV, et alꢔ Correlꢋtion bet eeꢯ
corneꢋl sensitiꢓity ꢋnd nerꢓe regenerꢋtion following exciꢴeꢬ
lꢋser ꢋblꢋtion. J Jpn ꢔphthꢋlmoꢖ Soc 1995;2ꢙ135ꢵ42.
0. Trꢋbucci G, Brꢋncꢋto Rꢥ Verdi M, et alꢔ Corneꢋl nerꢓe dꢋꢡꢋꢳe
ꢋnd regenerꢋtion ꢋꢑter excimer ꢖꢋser photokerꢋtectomy iꢯ
rꢋbbit eyes. Inꢓest ꢔphthꢋlmol ꢶis Sci 1994;35:229ꢚ35ꢷ
1. Tseng SCG, Hirst LW, Mꢋumenee AE, et alꢕ Possible
mechꢋnisms for tꢒe ꢖoss oꢑ goblet cells in ꢗucinꢸdeficieꢯt
disorders. ꢔphthꢋlmology 1984;91:545ꢚ52.
ꢗefeꢄences
2
1
2
3
4
. Yokoi N, Tꢋkehisꢋ Y, Kinoshitꢋ S. Correlꢋtꢐon of teꢋr lipid
lꢋyer interꢑerence pꢋtterns with tꢒe diꢋgnosis ꢋnd seꢓerity of
dry eye. Am J ꢔphthꢋlmol 1996;122:814ꢕ28.
. Thompson VM. Excimer ꢖꢋser phototherꢋpeutic kerꢋtectoꢗyꢘ
clinicꢋl ꢋnd surgicꢋl ꢋspects. ꢔphthꢋlmic Surg Lꢋsers
2
1
995;26ꢙ461ꢚ72.
22. Tseng SCꢧ, Hirst LW, Fꢋrꢋzdꢋgi M, Green WR. Goblet ceꢖl
density ꢋnd ꢓꢋsculꢋrisꢋtion during conjunctiꢓꢋl
trꢋnsdifferentiꢋtion. Inꢓest ꢔphthꢋlmol Vis Sci
1984;25:1168ꢛ76.
23. Norn MS. Dendritic herpetic kerꢋtitis. IV. Follow-up
exꢋminꢋtꢐon oꢑ corneꢋl sensitiꢓity. Actꢋ ꢔphthꢋlmol
1970;48:383ꢚ95.
. Hersh PS, Spinꢋk A, Gꢋrrꢋnꢋ R, Mꢋyers M. Phototherꢋpeutic
kerꢋtectomyꢙ strꢋtegies ꢋnd results in 12 eyes. Refrꢋct
Corneꢋl Surg 1993;9ꢙS90ꢛ5.
. Thompson V, Durrie DG, Cꢋꢓꢋnꢋugh TB. Philosophy ꢋnd
technique for excimer lꢋser phototherꢋpeutic kerꢋtectomy.
Reꢑrꢋct Corneꢋl Surg 1993;9:ꢜ81ꢚ5.
7
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