PURPOSE: To determine the outcome of patients with decreased vision associated with anterior basement membrane dystrophy (ABMD) managed with diamond burr (DB) polishing. DESIGN: Retrospective nonrandomized case series. METHODS: A chart review of all patients with ABMD who underwent epithelial debridement and DB polishing to treat visual disturbances resulting from corneal epithelial irregularity was performed. RESULTS: Ten patients' charts were analyzed. The mean age was 57.4 years. DB treatment was performed in 13 eyes. The average preoperative BCVA was 0.40 (20/50). At the last follow-up (mean 21.8 months) the average visual acuity of these patients was 0.88 (20/23), significantly better than pre-operative readings (P < .001). There was no recurrence of dystrophic changes in the treatment zone seen with the slit lamp during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, DB polishing was shown to be an effective and safe treatment for decreased vision caused by to ABMD over an average follow-up of 21.8 months.
PURPOSE: To determine the outcome of patients with decreased vision associated with anterior basement membrane dystrophy (ABMD) managed with diamond burr (DB) polishing. DESIGN: Retrospective nonrandomized case series. METHODS: A chart review of all patients with ABMD who underwent epithelial debridement and DB polishing to treat visual disturbances resulting from corneal epithelial irregularity was performed. RESULTS: Ten patients' charts were analyzed. The mean age was 57.4 years. DB treatment was performed in 13 eyes. The average preoperative BCVA was 0.40 (20/50). At the last follow-up (mean 21.8 months) the average visual acuity of these patients was 0.88 (20/23), significantly better than pre-operative readings (P < .001). There was no recurrence of dystrophic changes in the treatment zone seen with the slit lamp during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, DB polishing was shown to be an effective and safe treatment for decreased vision caused by to ABMD over an average follow-up of 21.8 months.