Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of amniotic membrane extract (AME) for ocular chemical burns.
Methods: Prospective non-comparative interventional case series study. Consecutive 14 eyes of 11 patients with acute or chronic chemical burns, being recruited in one referral centre, received AME topically in combination with traditional treatment. Ocular discomfort, visual acuity, ocular surface inflammation, re-epithelialization, corneal thickness, corneal neovascularization and symblepharon were evaluated.
Results: Symptom relieved and ocular surface inflammation reduced dramatically in all eyes. Epithelial defect healed in all eyes with acute burns, in which less than 7 clock hours of limbus was involved, after 16.6 days (1-44 days) AME treatment. AME failed to close the epithelial defect in all eyes with chronic chemical burn coexisting diffuse limbal stem cell deficiency; however, the area of epithelial defect decreased to 58% (11.1%-68.2%) at final visit. During a follow-up period of 8.2 months (6-11 months), visual acuity improved in 12 eyes (86%). There was mild neovascularization in three eyes with grade III and IV acute burns, and slow progress of neovascularization in chronic burns. Mild symblepharon developed in two eyes with grade III and IV acute burns, whereas there was no significant progress of symblepharon in chronic cases.
Conclusions: Although it is a preliminary and uncontrolled study, topical application of AME is effective in reducing inflammation, promoting reepithelization in the treatment of chemical burns, especially for mild to moderate acute cases.