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  • Diamond-dusted burrs can remove calcium deposits in patients with band keratopathy

    Uveitis

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    Review of: Removal of calcific band keratopathy without ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in eyes with limited visual potential

    Bee C, Koenig L, Hwang E, et al. Clinical Ophthalmology, October 2018

    As an alternative to ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), a diamond-dusted burr was used to perform debridement in patients with calcific band keratopathy (CBK).

    Study design

    This was a retrospective chart review of 6 consecutive patients (7 eyes) who underwent treatment for CBK between December 2012 and July 2015. Preoperatively, all patients had ocular discomfort and poor vision from either retinopathy of prematurity or chronic uveitis. A battery-powered, handheld diamond-dusted burr without EDTA was used to remove the corneal epithelium and underlying calcium deposits. The length of follow-up ranged from 15 days to 31 months.

    Outcomes

    Two eyes experienced CBK recurrence, one at 4 months and one at 28 months after treatment. All patients had partial or complete symptomatic relief after treatment.

    Limitations

    The major limitations of the study included the small number patients and the short follow-up period (15 days) for one of the patients. A larger-scale, prospective trial comparing EDTA chelation to diamond burr chelation would be optimal.

    Clinical significance

    Band keratopathy affects many patients with chronic uveitis, especially children. The diamond-dusted burr can be used as an alternative to traditional EDTA, which is often in very limited supply.