Bullous keratopathy in a yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima) treated with a modified third eyelid flap

Abstract

A Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima) was submitted to the Ophthalmology Service of the Federal University of Bahia with a corneal abnormality. During ophthalmic evaluation the right cornea was stained positively with fluorescein; a blurred bullous lesion, with irregular surface, compatible with the diagnosis of bullous keratopathy was found. This is a rare condition in a bird which was treated successfully with a modified third eyelid flap associated with antibiotic and hyaluronic acid eye drops. The adopted therapeutic proved to be simple to implement and viable for repair of the bullous keratopathy in the Yellow-headed caracara.

Bullous Keratopathy in a dog treated with Third Eyelid Flap and Autologous Serum Eye Drops

“…BK's clinical treatment BK in initial stages includes hyperosmotic solution associated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the lesion [10], however, this treatment alone is not effective in reducing stromal edema and opacity [13], and that underlying causes, such as ectopic cilia must be removed [7], we made the option for the patient's surgical treatment due to the severity of the lesions and the eyelid changes that needed correction so that the cornea would not continue to be damaged.…”

“…It was decided to perform a third eyelid flap because it is a low-invasive procedure, that is quickly and easy to perform, and enables the protection and compression of the corneal epithelium which helps in adhesion [3]. This technique has been shown to be effective in the treatment of BK and other eye disorders [1,10,14,16].…”

“…Bullous Keratopathy (BK) is an acquired alteration characterized by decompensation of the corneal stroma, caused by proteolytic enzymes arising from inflammatory cells, pathogens or dysfunction of the cells. It is reported in dogs and cats, and the brachycephalic breeds are the most affected [4,10]. BK is characterized by decompensation of the corneal stroma resulting in visual impairment by corneal opacity, discomfort, excessive tearing, blepharospasm and pain [4,6,8,10].…”

“…In clinical treatment, hyperosmotic solutions associated with topical antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended. Surgical treatments include thermokeratoplasty, conjunctival flap, deep lamellar keratoplasty, tarsorrhaphy, amniotic membrane transplantation, ultraviolet-A collagen cross-linking and third eyelid flap [8,10].…”

Application of a modified nictitating membrane flap in a fledgling feral pigeon (Columba livia domestica) with bullous keratopathy

“…All cases occurred in raptors and were secondary to corneal ulcers or trauma, with no significant infection. Different surgical methods, including tarsorrhaphy, NMF, penetrating and lamellar keratectomy, and conjunctival grafting, were applied to each case, and the results varied with failure, success, and several reoperations 10–12 . The aim of this report was to describe the clinical features of BK presumed to be secondary to melting keratitis in a nestling feral pigeon.…”