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Query: UMLS:C0022568 (keratitis)
 5,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The authors report on 2 patients who developed dense opacities of the thinned cornea during long-term unconsciousness under intensive care, due to insufficient care of the cornea in the case of lagophthalmic keratitis. Although the keratoplasty performed was finally successful, postoperative treatment was very difficult, because the very thin host cornea made re-suturing necessary. The authors recommend using a donor graft 0.2 to 0.3 mm larger in such cases. In order to prevent a keratitis with subsequent corneal opacities. It is very important to instruct the nursing staff to take care to apply eye ointments regularly in unconscious patients with lagophthalmus.
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PMID:[Keratoplasty for severe lagophthalmic keratitis in patients with long-term artificial respiration]. 308 18

Exposure keratitis can lead to infectious keratitis, corneal perforation, blindness and disfigurement. Chronic exposure of the cornea can occur following facial burns that cause eyelid ectropion. This complication can be difficult to diagnose in the unconscious patient. Five patients have undergone lid ectropion release to 11 eyelids in the early postburn period over the past 5 years. One patient required repeat release. Full-thickness skin grafts were used for the lower eyelid and no graft failure occurred. Operations were performed between 30-50 days postburn. Plastic wrap was used in one patient as a temporary dressing to maintain corneal hydration until surgery could be performed. All the patients were noted to have exposure keratitis on ophthalmological review. Patients most at risk are those with large area burns that include the face, who require prolonged intensive care support. It is important to look out for the development of eyelid ectropion, which should be corrected when first diagnosed to prevent disabling, sight-threatening eye injury.
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PMID:Cicatricial, postburn ectropion and exposure keratitis. 960 94

Exposure keratopathy is a non-infectious keratitis which follows any pathological process that limits eyelid closure, thus leaving the cornea unprotected during blinking or during sleep. Lagophthalmos is most frequently determined by peripheral facial nerve palsy and by exophthalmos/proptosis. The therapeutical approach includes both etiological and symptomatic treatment, as well as the treatment of corneal lesions, an attitude often associated with a good functional prognosis.
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PMID:[Lagophthalmic keratopathy]. 1793 27