Effect of Topical Steroids and Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Agents on Corneal Stromal Wond Healing following Excimer Laser Keratectomy in Rabbits

La, Tae Yoon; Park, Soo Chul; Kim, Jae Ho

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of topical corticosteroid and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents on corneal stromal wound healing after excimer laser keratectomy, each eye of 75 rabbit was ablated by excimer laser and the animals were divided into five groups (15 rabbits in each group). That is, group I of 0.1% dexamethasone, group II of 0.1 % fluorometholone, group III of 0.03 % flurbiprofen, group IV of 0.1 % dexamethasone and 0.03 % flurbiprofen and control group of balanced salt solution. All treatment regiments were instilled four times daily after keratectomy. The animals of each group were killed at 1 week, 1month and 3months after surgery to examine the thickness of newly formed collagen, the keratocyte density and the fine structural alteration in keratocytes and stroma. The results were as follows; 1. The thickness of the new stroma was maximum in control group and minimum in group IV, and significantly different not only between the control and each experimental group but also between experimental groups except between group I and IV (p<0.05). 2. The keratocyte count was maximum in control group and minimum in group IV and the difference was significant between the control group and each experimental groups, but among experimental groups there was significant difference between I and III and between III and IV only. 3. Under transmission electron microscope at 12 weeks, the keratocyte activity and microscopic structural change were markedly subsided in each experimental group but sustainod in control. Basod on these observations, the topically applied steroid and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug can modulate the stromal wound healing process after excimer laser keratectomy and the effect, which can be evaluated by the quantitative analysis of the morphologic changes, is the most prominent in Dexamethasone treated group.