ORAL MUCOUS-MEMBRANE GRAFTS FOR CORNEAL PROTECTION TO PERMIT PROSTHETIC SHELL WEAR

Conjunctival flaps are commonly used to cover the cornea in patients w ho otherwise can not tolerate a scleral shell. An alternative method o f protecting the cornea, oral mucous membrane grafting, is described h erein. Ten patients had oral mucous membrane grafting to the cornea. P atients ranged from 5 months to 47 years of age. Diagnoses included pa rtial cryptophthalmia, microphthalmia, congenital orbital fibrosis syn drome, juvenile active ossifying fibroma, and trauma. All patients had poor visual function in the affected eye. Patients were either intole rant of scleral shell wear or had other contraindications to the use o f a shell over an unprotected cornea. Following mucous membrane grafti ng (follow-up, 1-3 years), all patients were successfully fitted with prostheses and obtained good cosmetic results.