Microscopia confocal en cirugía refractiva corneal: ¿útil o imprescindible?

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Abstract

Introducción: el estudio morfométrico de la córnea con posterioridad a la cirugía refractiva corneal con Láser Excímer, se ha convertido, en los últimos años, en tema de investigación recurrente a nivel internacional, con vistas a obtener resultados in vivo del tejido corneal y por tanto, evaluar estas novedosas tecnologías. Objetivo: describir las aplicaciones de la microscopia confocal de la córnea en cirugía refractiva con Láser Excímer. Método: se realizó un estudio exploratorio del tema, teniendo en cuenta las publicaciones de los últimos 5 años de los autores más representativos, así como las revistas de mayor impacto de la especialidad. Se utilizó la plataforma Infomed, específicamente la Biblioteca Virtual de Salud (Ebsco,Hinari, PERii, SciELO Cuba, SciELO regional, PLoS Medicine, Pubmed Central, Biomed Central, DOAJ, Free Medical Journals). La información fue resumida para la elaboración del informe final. Resultados: se han obtenido en diferentes estudios valores de densidad corneal por subcapas, grosores corneales, características de células y nervios corneales, evolución en el tiempo de estos cambios y relaciones estadísticas entre variables morfométricas. Conclusiones: el oftalmólogo dedicado a cirugía refractiva corneal debe dominar e incorporar a su práctica cotidiana la microscopia confocal corneal como una herramienta pre y posoperatoria que ya se ha hecho imprescindible en vistas a elevar la seguridad de este tipo de tratamiento. No todo está dicho, la línea investigativa del tema apunta a un mayor desarrollo en los años venideros que tiene como atenuante la poca accesibilidad a este proceder en otros países por su elevado costo.

Translated abstract

Introduction: the morphometric study of the cornea after excimer laser refractive surgery has turned into a recurrent research topic worldwide in the last few years, with a view to achieving in vivo corneal tissue outcomes, and hence, to evaluating these state-of-the-art technologies. Objective: to describe the corneal confocal microscopy uses in excimer laser refractive surgery. Methods: an exploratory study was conducted, which took into account the publications of the most outstanding authors in the last five years, as well as the highest impact journals in this field. Infomed, particularly the Virtual Health Library (Ebsco, Hinari, PERii, SciELO Cuba, regional SciELO, PLoS Medicine, Pubmed Central, Biomed Central, DOAJ, Free Medical Journals). The information was summarized for the preparation of the final report. Results: the different studies contained in this review yielded corneal density values by sublayers, corneal thicknesses, corneal cell and nerve characteristics, progression of these changes in time and statistical associations among the morphometric variables. Conclusions: the ophthalmologist working in the corneal refractive surgery must master the corneal confocal microscopy and incorporate it into his/her daily practice as a preoperative and postoperative tool that has already become indispensable to raise the safety of this type of treatment. There is still a lot to be said and done in this regard; the research line of this topic points to higher development of this technique in the coming years, which can be restrained by the low access to this costly procedure in other countries.

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Most cited references 39

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Age-related differences in the normal human cornea: a laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy study.

R Niederer, D Perumal, Catherine M. T. Sherwin … (2007)

To quantify and establish baseline normative data for age-related differences in cellular and innervation density in the normal, healthy, human cornea using laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy.

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Three-year changes in epithelial and stromal thickness after PRK or LASIK for high myopia.

Anders Ivarsen, Walther Fledelius, Jesper Ø Hjortdal (2009)

To compare 3-year changes in corneal sublayer thickness after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Forty-six patients with spheroequivalent refraction of -6.0 to -8.0 diopters (D) were randomly assigned to PRK or LASIK. One eye from each patient was included in the study. Examinations included manifest refraction and confocal microscopy through focusing (CMTF) and were performed preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 week and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 36 months. From CMTF scans, the thicknesses of the central cornea (CT), epithelium (ET), stroma (ST), LASIK flap (FT), and residual stromal bed (BT) were calculated. After LASIK, spheroequivalent refraction averaged -0.76 D by 1 week and -1.19 D by 1 month, with no subsequent significant change. ET increased 9.0 +/- 7.0 microm within 1 week and remained constant thereafter. ST increased 12.9 +/- 9.4 microm within 1 year because of increased BT. One week after PRK, refraction averaged -0.23 D and stabilized at -1.42 D by 6 months. By 1 week, ET was reduced by 7.5 +/- 5.7 microm, reached preoperative thickness by 6 months, and increased further 7.3 +/- 6.0 microm by 3 years. ST increased 25.3 +/- 17.2 microm during 1 year, correlating with the postoperative refractive regression. After both procedures, changes in CT also correlated with refractive changes. No other correlations were identified. PRK and LASIK induce a persistent increase in ET that stabilizes 1 week after LASIK and 1 year after PRK. Stromal regrowth is most pronounced after PRK. After LASIK, regrowth is restricted to the residual stromal bed. Postoperative refractive changes correlate with changes in ST (PRK) and CT (PRK and LASIK) but not with changes in ET.

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In vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy confirms that the human corneal sub-basal nerve plexus is a highly dynamic structure.

Kushang V. Patel, Charles N J McGhee (2008)

To add to findings in a prior study on the two-dimensional arrangement of the living human sub-basal corneal nerve plexus and determine whether it is a dynamic structure. Laser scanning in vivo confocal microscopy was performed on the left cornea of a healthy subject who had been examined with the same methodology 2 years earlier. Examinations were performed once a week for 6 weeks with the purpose of producing a two-dimensional reconstruction map of the living human sub-basal corneal nerve plexus at each session. A two-dimensional graphics program was used to arrange and map images obtained at each session into confluent montages. The mean dimensions of the corneal areas mapped were 4.80 +/- 0.45 mm horizontally and 4.60 +/- 0.52 mm vertically. The nerve branching patterns observed 2 years earlier did not correspond with those in any recent maps. Over the 6-week period, the sub-basal nerve pattern appeared to migrate centripetally from the corneal periphery toward an inferocentral whorl. In the region of the whorl the nerves altered their generally centripetal direction of migration, undergoing clockwise rotation. The centripetal rate of migration decreased with proximity to the center of the whorl (5.6 +/- 3.4 microm/wk at 13 microm from the whorl, 13.9 +/- 5.5 microm/wk at 333 microm from the whorl, and 25.9 +/- 8.6 microm/wk at 698 microm from the whorl). This study provides strong evidence that the living human sub-basal corneal nerve plexus is a highly dynamic structure, with continuous centripetal movement of identifiable branch points of up to 26 microm/wk, creating dramatic pattern changes in the plexus over a 6-week period.