Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty in a Patient with Keratoglobus and Chronic Hydrops Secondary to a Spontaneous Descemet Membrane Tear

Purpose. To report the use of Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) in a patient with keratoglobus and chronic hydrops. Case Report. We describe a case of a 28-year-old man with bilateral keratoglobus and chronic hydrops in the right eye secondary to spontaneous Descemet membrane tear. The patient presented with finger counting (CF) vision, itching, foreign body sensation, and severe photophobia in the right eye. Peripheral corneal thinning with central corneal protrusion and Descemet membrane tear spanning from 4 to 7 o'clock was noted on slit lamp examination. The right eye cornea was 15 mm in the horizontal diameter. After a 5.5-month loss to follow-up, the patient presented with discomfort, photophobia, decreasing vision, and tearing in the right eye. Vision was 20/60 with pinhole. 360-degree peripheral corneal ectasia with mild neovascularization and hydrops was present. Over the next few months, the patient complained of photophobia and intermittent eye pain. His vision deteriorated to CF, he developed corneal scarring with bullae, and a DSEK was performed. Eight months postoperatively, best-corrected vision improved to 20/30, cornea was clear, and the DSEK graft was stable. Conclusions. Nonresolving hydrops secondary to Descemet membrane tear in a patient with keratoglobus may result in permanent endothelial cell damage and scar formation. This may be successfully treated with DSEK.