Purpose: To analyse the changing trends in penetrating keratoplasty indications between
January 2011 and December 2018, at the Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University
Medical Center, Homburg/Saar, Germany. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective
review of 2123 corneal buttons of 1776 patients (1993 eyes, 56.0% males, age at the
time of surgery 57.6 +/- 18.7 years), who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PKP)
between January 2011 and December 2018. The classification was performed based on
histological analysis and using the priority scheme of Brady et al., supplemented
by a group of "failed endothelial keratoplasty grafts". Our groups were the following:
pseudophakic or aphakic bullous keratopathy, regraft, failed endothelial keratoplasty
graft, acute necrotizing and ulcerative keratitis, keratoconus, Fuchs' dystrophy,
corneal dystrophy other than Fuchs', corneal scars and other diagnoses. Results: Between
2011 and 2018, keratoconus was the leading indication for PKP in 455 (21.5%) cases,
followed by acute necrotizing and ulcerative keratitis in 384 (18.1%), regraft in
367 (17.3%), corneal scars in 350 (16.5%), pseudophakic or aphakic bullous keratopathy
in 225 (10.6%), Fuchs' dystrophy in 194 (9.1%), other diagnoses in 64 (3.0%), corneal
dystrophy other than Fuchs' in 52 (2.4%), and failed endothelial keratoplasty graft
in 32 (1.5%) cases. Conclusions: With the introduction of posterior lamellar keratoplasty,
keratoconus remains the leading PKP indication in our center with excimer laser-trephination
on a routine basis. A trend towards increasing numbers can be observed regarding acute
necrotizing and ulcerative keratitis patients and regrafts. However, the incidence
of Fuchs' dystrophy decreased dramatically within PKP patients, with the introduction
of posterior lamellar keratoplasty.
