Barriers that rapidly oppose potential corneal pathogens include innate immunity, tears that form a barrier and contain antimicrobial substances, and blink reflex that helps to spread tears over the cornea and mechanically sweep away pathogens. These protective mechanisms are controlled by nerves that can both stimulate and inhibit immune functions, stimulate tear production, and regulate blink...

PURPOSE Corneal nerves play essential roles in maintaining the ocular surface through provision of neurotrophic support, but genetic control of corneal innervation is poorly understood. The possibility of a neurotrophic failure in ocular surface disease associated with heterozygosity at the Pax6 locus (aniridia-related keratopathy [ARK]) was investigated. METHODS Patterns of corneal innervati...

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a genetically determined tumor-predisposing syndrome. Ocular manifestations include cataracts, epiretinal membranes, retinal hamartomas, optic disk gliomas, and nerve sheath meningiomas. Moreover, edema, optical atrophy, motility disorders, pupil lid dysfunction, neurotrophic keratitis can be observed as indirect signs. An observational study was conducted with...

A Kashmiri family with 3 members affected by a congenital sensory and autonomic neuropathy and corneal opacification is described. The 3 affected cases were offspring of consanguinous marriages in two generations; autosomal recessive inheritance is therefore probable. Pain and temperature sensation was lost in the limbs with a resulting mutilating acropathy. Sudomotor function was also impaired...

PURPOSE To report surgical therapies for corneal perforations in a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS Thirty-one eyes of 31 patients (aged 62.4±18.3 years) with surgically treated corneal perforations from January 2002 to July 2013 were included in this study. Demographic data such as cause of corneal perforation, surgical procedures, and visual outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. RESU...

the past decade has witnessed the revival of amniotic membrane transplantation (amt) in ophthalmology. the importance of amt is due to its ability to reduce scarring and inflammation and to enhance wound healing and epithelialization, and also its anti-microbial properties. amniotic membrane has recently been used as a substrate for culturing limbal stem cells for transplantation. it has been u...

Neurotrophic keratitis (NK) is a rare degenerative disease of the cornea caused by an impairment of corneal sensory innervation, characterized by decreased or absent corneal sensitivity resulting in epithelial keratopathy, ulceration, and perforation. The aetiopathogenesis of corneal sensory innervation impairment in children recognizes the same range of causes as adults, although they are much...

PURPOSE To develop a mouse model of neurotrophic keratopathy by approaching the trigeminal nerve through the brain and to evaluate changes in corneal cell apoptosis and proliferation. METHODS Six- to 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice underwent trigeminal stereotactic electrolysis (TSE) to destroy the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. Clinical follow-up using biomicroscopy of the cornea wa...