Investigative ophthalmology & visual science
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · May 2018
Functional and Morphologic Alterations in Mechanical, Polymodal, and Cold Sensory Nerve Fibers of the Cornea Following Photorefractive Keratectomy.
To define the characteristics and time course of the morphologic and functional changes experienced by corneal sensory nerves after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). ⋯ Morphologic regeneration of subbasal corneal nerves started shortly after PRK ablation and was substantially completed 30 days later. Functional recovery appears faster in cold terminals than polymodal terminals, possibly reflecting an incomplete damage of the more extensively branched cold-sensitive axon terminals. Evolution of postsurgical discomfort sensations quality may be associated with the variable regeneration pattern of each fiber type.