Solid Platelet‑rich Plasma Combined with Silicone-hydrogel Soft Contact Lens for Non-healing Corneal Ulcers: A Case Series

Allogeneic Solid Platelet-Rich Plasma for Persistent Epithelial Neurotrophic Defects: A Protocol and Pilot Study

PURPOSE

Here, we present the procedure to obtain allogeneic solid platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and its use in a pilot study of patients with persistent neurotrophic epithelial defects.

METHODS

We included 4 eyes of 4 patients with persistent neurotrophic epithelial defects unresponsive to other therapies from a single institution. PRP and thrombin were produced by the Department of Transfusion Medicine from healthy blood donors. PRP was activated in its solid form in the operating room with addition of thrombin and calcium gluconate 10% and applied on the cornea with fibrin glue and soft contact lens. Corneal healing time, corneal esthesiometry, visual acuity, Oxford staining score, Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire, and Schirmer I test were recorded. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography and in vivo confocal microscopy were also evaluated over the 4-month follow-up period.

RESULTS

The persistent epithelial defect healed in all patients in the first 10 days. During the follow-up, there was an absence of recurrences. For all patients, there was a reduction in Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire score (case 1: -55 points, -73.3%; case 2: -26.3 points, -58.4%; case 3: -56 points, -69.1%; case 4: -20 points, -26.6%; mean reduction: 39.3 points, 56.85%) and Oxford staining score (case 1, 2, and 3: 3 points decrease; case 4: 2 points decrease; mean reduction: -2.75 points).

CONCLUSIONS

Allogeneic solid PRP in combination with fibrin glue may facilitate wound healing in neurotrophic persistent epithelial defects. Further prospective studies are needed to quantify its efficacy.

Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on Corneal Epithelial Healing after Phototherapeutic Keratectomy: An Intraindividual Contralateral Randomized Study

Purpose

To assess the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the healing response of the corneal epithelium in eyes undergoing phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK).

Methods

We prospectively examined 20 eyes of 10 patients undergoing bilateral PTK for granular corneal dystrophy or band keratopathy. Patients were randomly assigned to start topical administration of PRP ophthalmic suspension (PRP group) or artificial tears (control group) 4 times daily for 2 weeks. Immediately, 1, and 2 days, and 1 week after PTK, we quantitatively measured the staining area of the corneal epithelium, using slit-lamp photography. We also determined the subjective symptoms and the satisfaction, using the visual analogue system (VAS).

Results

The staining area in the PRP group was significantly smaller than that in the control group on days 1 and 2 (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p = 0.022 and p = 0.017, respectively), but not on day 7 (p = 0.317). The recovery rate of the corneal epithelium in the PRP group was significantly higher than that in the control group on days 1 and 2 (p = 0.022 and p = 0.017, respectively), but not on day 7 (p = 0.317). We found no significant differences in pain (p = 0.139), foreign body sensation (p = 0.108), epiphora (p = 1.000), or satisfaction (p = 0.295), between the two groups. Postoperative complications did not occur in any of the eyes in the study.

Conclusions

The PRP treatment was effective for enhancing corneal epithelial recovery in the early postoperative period, without significant adverse events, in post-PTK-treated eyes, suggesting that it may hold promise as one of the treatment options for treating such postsurgical patients.