Manual debridement effective for anterior basement membrane dystrophy patients

Manual epithelial debridement can produce results comparable to other procedures as a treatment for patients with visual symptoms related to anterior basement membrane dystrophy, according to a study.

Keith H. Baratz, MD, and colleagues reviewed outcomes for 74 eyes of 55 patients treated for anterior basement membrane dystrophy over a 15-year period. These patients averaged 74 years of age, and women comprised 80% of the study population.

Preoperatively, patients reported having difficulties with vision in 61 eyes (82%) and 13 eyes had symptoms of erosion only, according to the study.

After performing a simple mechanical epithelial debridement, best corrected visual acuity significantly improved from an average of 20/44 before surgery to 20/30 at the early follow-up visit.

At 33 months mean follow-up, BCVA averaged 20/33 and the mean refractive spherical equivalent had changed –0.6 D from baseline, the authors reported.

Subepithelial haze represented the most common postoperative complication and occurred in 19 eyes (26%).

No patients developed infections or experienced persistent epithelial defects. However, patients had a 44.7% 5-year cumulative probability of recurrence of anterior basement membrane dystrophy, the authors noted.

The study is published in the August issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology.