Purpose: To identify predictive factors for reversibility of corneal graft rejection.
Methods: The study design was a prospective cohort study. Among 440 consecutive penetrating keratoplasties performed at our institution, 79 grafts from 79 patients who developed signs of transplant rejection were included. Donor, recipient, surgical, and rejection variables were studied, at both univariate and multivariate levels.
Results: The rate of reversibility was 51% (40/79). The average postoperative time of rejection was 10.5 +/- 9.3 months, and the average time of visual acuity recovery in patients with reversible rejection was 2.4 +/- 2.3 months. In logistic regression, only two variables significantly influenced the rate of reversibility. The preoperative diagnosis (p = 0.04) influenced the rate of rejection reversibility; patients with bullous keratopathy or regraft were more likely to experience irreversible rejection than patients with keratoconus or Fuchs' dystrophy. The average graft thickness at the time of rejection diagnosis was 774 +/- 129 microm in patients with irreversible rejection and 681 +/- 118 microm in patients with reversible rejection (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: Rejection was reversible in half of the cases. Rejection was more likely to be irreversible in patients with marked increase in graft thickness and in patients transplanted for bullous keratopathy or graft failure. Donor variables did not influence rejection reversibility.