Epithelial ingrowth

Epithelial ingrowth (EI) is a potentially devastating complication of surgical and accidental trauma. Our experimental (autologous inverse keratoplasty in rabbits and long term organ cultures of human donor corneas) and clinico-histopathological studies suggest that the most important factors preventing diffuse EI are adequate fibrin level in secondary aqueous and fibroblast activity in the wound area. On the contrary, fibrin may serve as a scaffold for building a wall of a cystic ingrowth by epithelial cells implanted in the proximity of iris and far from a source of fibroblasts.