PP441 : Usability of donor cornea harvested from deceased having septicaemia or malignancy.

Dr.Sudesh Kumar Arya

PURPOSE – To evaluate donor corneas obtained from deaths occurring because of septicaemia or malignancy.

METHODS – 76 donor corneas from 41 deceased persons having septicaemia or malignancy were analysed for dissemination of the disease within the corneal tissue by histopathological and microbiological evaluation.

RESULTS – 46 donor corneas of 25 septicaemia patients showed presence of culture positive infection in 18 patients (72%). Histopathological examination done for 30 donor corneas form 16 cancer patients did not reveal presence of any tumour cells in the specimen.

CONCLUSION – Corneal tissues harvested from septicaemia donors are not suitable for transplantation. However, there was no incidence of tumour transmission in the corneal tissues of the patients with malignancies, suggesting that they can be considered for ophthalmic purpose.