To evaluate the therapeutic effects of autologous eye platelet-rich plasma (E-PRP) drop in in vivo cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation (In vivo-CLET) in patients with unilateral total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD).

In this prospective interventional nonrandomized case series, one small limbal block (22 mm) harvested from the upper limbus of the contralateral healthy donor eye. This limbal block was fixed to upper limbus of disease eye already covered by cryopreserved amniotic membrane. In the case of stromal opacity optical penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) was performed. Patients received E-PRP drop every three hours for two weeks after surgery. The epithelial healing, its transparency and visual acuity were evaluated after surgery.

five eyes of five patients with unilateral total LSCD were enrolled. Complete epithelial healing occurred during two weeks after surgery in all cases. Corneal transparency was improved after 3 months. PKP was done in two cases. Epithelium was healed in this two cases after two weeks. Cornea was clear and ocular surface was stable three months after surgery. In cases with and without PKP visual acuity was improved significantly.

This study suggests that in patients with unilateral total limbal stem cell deficiency, E-PRP drop may be helpful for in vivo cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation.