Earlier Intervention for Neurotrophic Keratitis? - Summary - MDSpire
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Earlier Intervention for Neurotrophic Keratitis?

New data support earlier use of decellularized basement membrane grafts in neurotrophic keratitis

  • September 8, 2026

  • 2 min

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Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of decellularized basement membrane (DBM) grafts as an earlier intervention for neurotrophic keratitis (NK).

Approach:
  • Study Design: A retrospective study involving almost 1,000 patients with chronic subclinical or Mackie Stage 1 NK.
  • Intervention: Successive applications of Biovance Ocular DBM tissue grafts.
  • Outcomes Measured: Corneal epithelial resolution, corneal sensitivity, tear osmolarity, and MMP-9 status.
Key Findings:
  • Corneal epithelial resolution occurred in all eyes with complete follow-up.
  • Functional corneal sensitivity improved, particularly in advanced Brill severity groups.
  • 70–82% of eyes with abnormal baseline osmolarity normalized following treatment.
  • MMP-9 positivity decreased, with 56–66% of positive eyes converting to negative.
  • Mean DBM use varied by disease severity, with 3.70 grafts in Brill 3, 3.08 in Brill 4, and 4.30 in Brill 5.
Limitations:
  • Retrospective study design may limit the ability to establish causation.
  • The study focused on a specific stage of NK, which may not generalize to all patients.
Sources:

Original Source(s)

Earlier Intervention for Neurotrophic Keratitis?

  • September 8, 2026

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