Resolution of epithelial ingrowth in a patient treated with 5-fluorouracil

PURPOSE: To report the effect of 5,fluorouracil on the outcome of a single case of epithelial ingrowth secondary to a wound leak after a complicated penetrating keratoplasty. DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: A 44-year-old man with extensive epithelial ingrowth after trauma and a penetrating keratoplasty received a fluid-gas exchange followed by two injections of 500 mug of 5-fluorouracil into the anterior chamber. RESULTS: Two weeks after receiving the 5-fluorouracil injections, complete disappearance of the epithelial ingrowth from the anterior chamber occurred. No evidence of recurrence was detectable at 5 months. CONCLUSION: Use of 5-fluorouracil is a potentially effective treatment of epithelial ingrowth, particularly in eyes with extensive involvement, in which the risks of traditional ablative therapeutic modalities are con. siderable. (C) 2002 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.