Role of Topical Cenegermin in Management of a Cornea Transplant in a Functionally Monocular Patient with Neurotrophic Keratitis and Facial Nerve Palsy: A Case Report.

Background: NK is one of the most challenging ocular conditions to treat and it can represent a devastating complication of acoustic neuroma surgery due to the profound corneal anesthesia and concomitant exposure keratopathy caused by seventh nerve palsy. In such cases, cornea surgery should be considered with extreme caution due to the high risk of devastating complications. The purpose of the study is to report the efficacy of a novel human recombinant nerve growth factor (rhNGF)-based ophthalmic treatment in a functionally monocular patient with a recurrence of severe neurotrophic keratitis (NK) on a corneal graft.

In vivo confocal microscopy of the sclerocorneal limbus after limbal stem cell transplantation: Looking for limbal architecture modifications and cytological phenotype correlations.

Purpose: To correlate a biomicroscopic evaluation, an in vivo confocal microscopy examination, and impression cytologic findings of the corneal center and sclerocorneal limbus after cultured limbal stem cell transplantation and to test the effectiveness of in vivo confocal microscopy as a diagnostic procedure in ocular surface cell therapy reconstructive surgery.

Methods: Six eyes of six patients affected by limbal stem cell deficiency after chemical burns underwent ex vivo expanded limbal stem cell transplantation (two eyes) and ex vivo expanded limbal stem cell transplantation with subsequent penetrating keratoplasty (four eyes) to restore corneal transparency. One year after surgery, all patients underwent a biomicroscopic evaluation, central cornea impression cytology to detect cytokeratin 12 (CK12) positivity, and in vivo confocal microscopy of the central cornea and the sclerocorneal limbus to investigate the epithelial cellular morphology, limbal architecture, and corneal inflammation level.