12-year follow-up of the first endothelial keratoplasty without Descemet stripping in a 3-month newborn with Congenital Hereditary Endothelial Dystrophy (CHED)

BACKGROUND: Endothelial Keratoplasty (EK) is now considered as the standard treatment for Congenital Hereditary Endothelial Dystrophy (CHED) by many surgeons. We present the 12-year clinical outcome of the youngest operated patient with CHED in which we successfully performed a bilateral EK procedure without removing the recipient endothelium-Descemet complex. CASE PRESENTATION: In November 2010 we performed EK without Descemet Stripping in a 3-month female newborn, thinking that the lower manipulation obtained by leaving the recipient endothelium–Descemet complex could be the key factor for the success of our surgery. Such a particular technique was new in newborns. The surgery was a success, but the long-term visual result was not predictable at that time. We followed the patient at 4 months, and then yearly. At the latest visit in October 2022 the visual, cognitive, and motorial developments were normal, with Best-corrected Distance Visual Acuity of 0.4 LogMAR with − 0.75 D sf + 2.75 D cyl @ 105° in the right eye (RE) and 0.4 LogMAR with + 1.50 D sf + 2.50 D cyl @ 60° in the left eye (LE). The endothelial microscope showed an unexpected healthy endothelium, with a cell count of 2383 cells/mm(2) in the RE and of 2547 cells/mm(2) in the LE from a starting donor count of 2900 cells/mm(2). No secondary procedures were performed during the 12-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: EK without Descemet stripping has proved to be a successful procedure over time in our newborn. The unexpected healthy endothelium suggests a role of the Descemet membrane in CHED.