Myopia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Myopia, including details on treatment, prevention, causes, correction.

Low-dose mitomycin C as a prophylaxis for corneal haze in myopic surface ablation.

Thornton I, Puri A, Xu M, Krueger RR

Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of low-dose (0.002%) mitomycin C (MMC) vs no prophylactic MMC (control) in reducing corneal haze after surface laser ablation. DESIGN: Two-year retrospective follow-up study performed in Jaipur, India. METHODS: Ninety-two eyes with no MMC application and 83 eyes with 0.002% MMC application during laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) were analyzed in a retrospective chart review with one month, two months, three months, six months, one year, and two years of postoperative follow-up. Postoperative haze, visual acuity, and efficacy ratio (EFFR) then were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The no-dose MMC and low-dose MMC groups were statistically similar except for a thinner corneal pachymetry (P < .001), higher spherical equivalent error (P = .006), and smaller ablation zone (P = .009) in eyes not treated with MMC when subjected to univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis was used to overcome the preoperative statistical differences among the two groups. Eyes treated with low-dose MMC (0.002%) demonstrated statistically less haze at all postoperative time points and in each myopic subgroup (P < .001). The postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and EFFR, however, showed no difference between the groups, except for better EFFR with MMC at one month (P < .001) and two months (P = .034). CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose MMC (0.002%) in eyes after LASEK results in less corneal haze than in eyes not receiving this agent. Concerns regarding the potential toxicity of MMC make a 10-fold less concentration more desirable in refractive surgery. Further comparative study of low- vs higher-dose MMC is recommended to characterize its clinical benefit fully.

Published 29 October 2007 in Am J Ophthalmol, 144(5): 673-681.
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