Amniotic membrane transplantation for ligneous conjunctivitis in a doberman

Abstract

An approximately 2-year-old female Doberman Pinscher was referred for the evaluation of bilateral, chronic proliferative conjunctivitis. Ophthalmic examination revealed bilateral thick, opaque pseudomembranes originating from the conjunctivae that prevented visualization of the cornea and interior structures of the eye. Histopathological findings of biopsies of the pseudomembranes were consistent with ligneous conjunctivitis. Serum plasminogen activity levels were within the normal range. Treatment with topical and systemic anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs did not improve the conjunctival lesions. The pseudomembranes were surgically excised, and the conjunctival surfaces were reconstructed with amniotic membrane. At final re-examination two years postsurgery, there was no evidence of recurrence of the pseudomembranes. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of the successful treatment of canine ligneous conjunctivitis with amniotic membrane transplantation.

Conjunctival calcinosis circumscripta in a dog: Treatment combining surgical resection and amniotic membrane grafting

“…In the above report, the AM grafts stayed in place for 2 weeks before sloughing, and remnants of AM that were present three weeks after the surgery were removed manually. After three months, the patient's conjunctival tissues returned to normal in terms of their appearance and function, and at the final follow‐up 24 months after the surgery, the patient did not exhibit any regrowth of the pseudomembranous tissue 11 . In the case described here, the AM was not removed, and correct conjunctival healing was achieved one month after the surgery.…”

“…Recently, O’Leary et al . successfully used a cryopreserved equine AM to reconstruct conjunctival tissue after excision of pseudomembranes in a dog with ligneous conjunctivitis 11 . The AM was sutured in place with the epithelial side oriented downward in order to act as a patch ( ie , overlay technique).…”

“…in 1998, 10 and it has since then been successfully employed for the surgical management of various corneal diseases, including keratomalacic ulcers, corneal inclusion cysts, and dermoids 8 . More recently, reconstruction of the conjunctival surfaces was achieved by amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) in a case of ligneous conjunctivitis in a Doberman Pinscher 11 …”

Combined medical and surgical approach in the management of ligneous conjunctivitis in a pediatric patient: A case report

“…Topical cyclosporine and heparin are relatively inexpensive and accessible, but their efficacy may be limited [ 18 , 19 ]. Amniotic membrane transplantation is more invasive and expensive than other treatment options [ 20 , 21 , 8 ]. Heterologous serum may not be readily available and may be expensive [ 7 ].…”

A large deletion in the Plasminogen gene is associated with ligneous membranitis in a Maltese dog

“…It was recently found that the transplantation of the amniotic membrane associated with immunosuppressive azathioprine induced long‐term control of the ocular signs (O’Leary et al . 2018 ).…”