Topical treatment improves corneal healing in pediatric patients with neurotrophic keratitis

Topical cenegermin 0.002% ophthalmic solution (Oxervate, Dompé US) improved the corneal healing in cases ofpediatric neurotrophic keratopathy, according to Abdelrahman M. Elhusseiny, MD, MSc, an ophthalmology resident at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science in Little Rock.

This condition, which is rare, is the result of damage to the corneal nerves that can lead to decreased or loss of corneal sensation and impaired healing ability, according to a study by Elhusseiny and colleagues that was presented in an e-poster at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery’s2022 annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

According to the e-poster, the research team conducted a retrospective chart review of a series of pediatric patients with neurotrophic keratitis to determine their early experience using topical cenegermin 0.002% ophthalmic solution as a treatment.

In their study, all patientswere younger than 18 years and had been diagnosed with neurotrophic keratitis, and all had been treated with cenegermin ophthalmic solution between June 2018 and June 2021.

The data gathered during the chart review included the etiology of the neurotrophic keratitis, the patients’ ages at the time when topical cenegermin was started, ocular laterality, ethnicity, gender, history of a previous ocular therapy, the best-corrected visual acuity before and after therapy, the corneal condition before and after treatment, any treatment-related adverse events, associated ocular conditions, and the history of ocular surgeries, the investigators recounted.

Elhusseiny reported that 5 eyes of 5 pediatric patients were identified with neurotrophic keratitis during the study period. The children were a mean age of 4.8±1.9 years when the topical cenegermin therapy was started.

The mean time from NK diagnosis until the cenegermin drops were started was 4.5±4.1 months and the mean follow-up time was 12.2±10.1 months. In all 5 patients, after the therapy ended, there was marked improvement in epitheliopathy.

The best-corrected visual acuity was measurable in 4 eyes of 4 patients, and it improved from a mean of 0.15±0.14 to a mean of 0.41±0.31, a significant change (p = 0.2), Elhusseiny reported.

No adverse events were reported in relation to the cenegermin therapy.

The study conclusion was thatcenegermin was effective for improving the corneal healing in these pediatric patients.