The clinical outcomes of minor salivary gland transplantation for severe dry eye disease secondary to chronic Stevens-Johnson syndrome

Purpose

To study the outcomes of minor salivary gland transplantation for severe dry eye disease secondary to chronic Steven Johnson Syndrome.

Methods

It was an ambispective, interventional case series conducted at Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, Delhi, India from 2022 to 2023 evaluating the outcomes of minor salivary gland transplantation with anchorage of the minor salivary glands to superior rectus muscle in twenty cases of severe dry eye disease secondary to chronic Steven-Johnson Syndrome. The pre-operative clinical parameters were compared to those at post-operative 1 year follow-up.

Results

At 1 year follow-up, there was an improvement in mean Schirmer-1 value (p = 0.0004), hyperemia score (p = 0.0004), keratinization score (p = 0.04), corneal epithelial defect score (p = 0.0004), corneal opacification score (p = 0.001), corneal neovascularization score (p = 0.001), palisades of Vogt score (p = 0.007), corneal keratinization score (p = 0.04) and corneal conjunctivalization score (p = 0.08).

Conclusion

The minor salivary gland transplantation is a viable management option for cases with severe dry eye disease secondary to chronic Steven Johnson Syndrome with clinical improvement in corneal and conjunctival parameters of the ocular surface.