Purpose: To report a case of neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) in a patient affected by primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) who undergone glaucoma drainage implant surgery. NK was successfully treated with human recombinant Nerve Growth Factor (Cenegermin) eye drops.
Case report description: A 46-years-old patient affected by primary congenital glaucoma underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in the right eye, after several unsuccessful surgeries to control intraocular pressure (IOP) since the age of three. Surgical intervention was performed without complications, and IOP was well-controlled post-operatively. However, 1 month after surgery, he developed NK with stromal ulceration, initially treated with a topical combination of preservative-free artificial tears and antibiotic ointment. As NK did not resolve, a new treatment with Cenegermin 20 µg/ml eye drops, 6 times daily, was started.
Outcome: NK completely resolved after 8 weeks of Cenegermin treatment, with complete restoration of corneal integrity and improvement of corneal sensitivity and transparency. Visual acuity in the operated eye reverted to the pre-operative value.
Conclusion: Cenegermin was extremely effective in restoring corneal integrity in this PCG patient with NK.
Keywords: Neurotrophic keratopathy; childhood glaucoma; confocal microscopy; human recombinant nerve growth factor.