During the 4-6 days it takes for the epithelium to regrow, the eye will be uncomfortable. When undergoing PTK, the epithelium is removed before treatment. On occasion one can combine PTK with PRK to treat refractive errors at the same time however, the additional treatment is not covered by insurance. The excimer laser is the same laser used for LASIK and PRK. This creates a rougher surface for epithelial cells to adhere to, thus decreasing the chance of erosions. PTK involves the removal of a small amount of corneal tissue with the excimer laser. What is Phototherpeutic Keratectomy (PTK)? The new epithelium is smoother and allows better vision. For blurry or double vision, the most effective therapy is to remove the irregular epithelium (essentially creating a large abrasion) allowing the epithelium to regrow.Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK), which utilizes the excimer laser, is very effective at creating a stickier surface for the epithelium.Depending on the situation, stromal puncture, which is an office procedure which allows the epithelium to stick down tighter, can be performed.For recurrent erosions, ointments and bandage contact lenses are often used as first line therapy.A smooth corneal surface is required for clear vision, so these surface irregularities degrade vision. These ridges, called Map and Fingerprint lines, are visible during the eye exam. Because the epithelium isn’t stuck down well, folds or ridges may develop on the corneal surface from shifting epithelium. The second set of symptoms are blurry and double vision.Erosions can last minutes to days, depending on the size of the abrasion. The lid crossing the dry cornea causes a scratch.

An example is when the eyes first open in the morning. Because the epithelium isn’t stuck down well, the epithelium can come off with seemingly trivial trauma.

The first is called recurrent erosion, which describes a situation when recurrent abrasions (scratches) develop on the cornea.

However, when the basement membrane doesn’t stabilize the epithelium properly, two sets of symptoms may occur. Most patients who have ABMD don’t have any symptoms. This condition is common, treatable, and rarely leads to significant vision loss. There are generally two conditions which cause basement membrane dysfunction – one inherited, and one acquired by a deep corneal abrasion (scratch) which damages the basement membrane. The basement membrane stabilizes the epithelium.

The basement membrane functions as a sticky anchor over which the epithelium grows. In this condition, the basement membrane under the corneal epithelium does not function properly. Anterior Basement Membrane Corneal Dystrophy is the official name for Map Dot Fingerprint Corneal Dystrophy.

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