Corneal neurotization improves vision and corneal sensation in neurotrophic keratitis

Corneal neurotization (CN) surgery is highly effective for improving vision and corneal sensation in neurotrophic keratitis, with outcomes influenced by patient age, disease cause, and surgical technique, according to a study.

A new analysis of 14 studies involving 191 patients found that CN led to marked improvements in Mackie staging, logMAR visual acuity, and corneal sensitivity for both congenital and acquired NK cases. Younger patients (≤30 years) showed greater gains in corneal sensation, while older patients (>30 years) experienced more pronounced vision improvement. Surgical approach and disease cause also influenced outcomes, with indirect CN producing greater corneal sensation recovery than direct CN, and patients with congenital NK having superior sensory improvement compared with those with acquired disease.

Reference
Kuang R, Xu S, Lin X, et al. Systematic analysis of factors affecting the efficacy of corneal reinnervation surgery in treating neurotrophic keratitis. Eur J Med Res. 2025;30(1):742. doi: 10.1186/s40001-025-02992-8. PMID: 40796880; PMCID: PMC12345085.