WITHDRAWN: Treatment of Noninfectious Corneal Disorders With Plasma Rich in Growth Factors and ReGenerating Agent Matrix

Abstract

Background: To provide the efficacy and safety of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) associated with tissue ReGeneraTing Agent (RGTA) drops for the treatment of noninfectious corneal ulcers.Methods: This retrospective study included patients from Fernandez-Vega University Institute between 2010 and 2019, with noninfectious corneal ulcers and no response to standard treatments. RGTA treatment was firstly applied (1 drop every two days), but if ulcer closure was not achieved, PRGF eye drops treatment was added (4 times/day). The time to reach the ulcer closure; the Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), Visual Analog Scale (VAS, in frequency and severity of symptoms), and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) were evaluated. The presence of adverse events along the follow-up period was also reported. Results: Seventy-four patients (79 eyes) were included in the study, forty-six eyes (62.2%) were women, and the mean age was 56.8 ± 17.3 years. The neurotrophic corneal ulcer was the most frequent disorder found in the patients of the study (n = 27, 34.2%), mainly due to the herpes virus (n = 15, 19.0%). The mean time of PRGF eye drops treatment associated with RGTA matrix was 4.2 ± 2.2 (1.5 -9.0) months, and the follow-up period was 44.9 ± 31.5 months. The ulcer closure was achieved in 76 eyes (96.2%). BCVA, VAS and OSDI improved significantly from the baseline (p<0.001), while IOP remained unchanged (p=0.665). No adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: The use of RGTA and PRGF in noninfectious ulcers was effective and safe, and it could be a therapeutic alternative for this type of corneal diseases.