Different recurrence patterns after phototherapeutic keratectomy in the corneal dystrophy resulting from homozygous and heterozygous R124H BIG-H3 mutation

PURPOSE: To report the recurrence pattern of corneal deposits after phototherapeutic keratectomy in patients with corneal dystrophies resulting from homozygous and heterozygous Arg124His (R124H) mutation of the BIG-H3 gene. METHODS: Slit-lamp examination was performed on patients with corneal dystrophy resulting from a genetically confirmed BIG-H3 R124H mutation. RESULTS: The recurrence of corneal deposits after phototherapeutic keratectomy in patient with heterozygous R124H mutation was mild; the granular opacities occurred as spot lesions in the central cornea. The patient with a homozygous mutation had a more severe pattern, and the recurrent lesions were diffuse and occurred in the periphery between the corneal epithelium and laser-ablated stroma. The recurrence-free interval in homozygous patients was shorter. CONCLUSION: The mutation genotype of BIG-H3 gene determines the recurrence pattern after phototherapeutic keratectomy. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.