Blowout Fracture after Descemet's Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty

• Main Authors: Eri Tachibana, Shizuka Koh, Naoyuki Maeda, Kohji Nishida
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Karger Publishers 2014-11-01
• Series: Case Reports in Ophthalmology
• Subjects: Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty; Corneal transplantation; Blowout fracture
• Online Access: http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/369056

We present the case of an 86-year-old woman who developed a blowout fracture after Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). Sixteen months after DSAEK, she suffered a blow to her left eye caused by a fall. Computed tomography confirmed the presence of a blowout fracture of the inferior wall of the left orbit with soft tissue prolapsing into the orbit. The patient complained of no abnormal symptoms, and her operated cornea was intact and clear. There was no abnormal finding in both the anterior and posterior segments. This case highlights that the DSAEK technique provides adequate tectonic stability of the globe throughout the traumatic event in contrast to penetrating keratoplasty, which can lead to devastating vision damage after trauma.