Amniotic membrane transplantation for managing dry eye and neurotrophic keratitis

Abstract

Neurotrophic keratitis (NK), a degenerative disease caused by damage to the trigeminal nerve, abolishes both tearing and blinking reflexes, thus causing the most severe forms of dry eye disease (DED). Conversely, the increasing severity of DED also leads to progressive loss of corneal nerve density, potentially resulting in NK. Both diseases manifest the same spectrum of corneal pathologies including inflammation and corneal epithelial keratitis, which can progress into vision-threatening epithelial defect and stromal ulceration. This review summarizes the current literature regarding outcomes following sutured and sutureless cryopreserved amniotic membrane (AM) in treating DED as well as epithelial defects and corneal ulcers due to underlying NK. These studies collectively support the safety and effectiveness of cryopreserved AM in restoring corneal epithelial health, improving visual acuity in eyes with NK and DED, and alleviating symptomatic DED. Future randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate the above findings and determine whether such clinical efficacy lies in promoting corneal nerve regeneration.