Simultaneous Noncentered Photoactivated Chromophore for Keratitis-Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking and Penetrating Keratoplasty for Treatment of Severe Marginal Fusarium spp. Keratitis: A Description of a New Surgical Technique

The purpose of this article is to describe the use of simultaneous noncentered photoactivated chromophore for keratitis-corneal collagen cross-linking (PACK-CXL) combined with penetrating keratoplasty in the treatment of a severe marginal Fusarium spp. keratitis case with imminent corneal perforation. It is a retrospective case report study; it was performed by collecting clinical data, images, video, and postoperative evaluations. The clinical control of the infection was accomplished, despite difficulties in obtaining antifungal medications due to the patient's extremely poor socioeconomic status and essentially nonexistent health insurance. We can conclude that combining simultaneous decentered PACK-CXL with centered penetrating keratoplasty appears to be a safe and effective way of treating patients with fungal marginal keratitis with corneal perforation, in which regular penetrating keratoplasty alone would leave fungal elements in the receptor corneal tissue, which would predispose to infection of the graft.