Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Treatment of Dry Eyes: A Pilot Study

Purpose: To study was to study the efficacy of autologous platelet-rich plasma injections (PRPi) in the treatment of dry eyes. Methods: This prospective, interventional study was conducted at a tertiary eye care center, India. One hundred and sixty eyes of 80 patients with newly diagnosed dry eyes were included. One eye received PRPi (cases = 80 eyes), and the other eye of the patient received a lubricating drop (control = 80 eyes). Cases who did not improve at 1-month follow-up (FU) were reinjected with PRP. The outcomes were measured on the basis of ocular surface disease index (OSDI), Schirmer’s test (ST), noninvasive tear breakup time (NIBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), and ocular surface staining (OSS) score done at baseline and 1-month, 2-month, 3-month, and 6-month FU. Results: Sixty cases showed a significant improvement in all the outcome measures at 1 month ( P < 0.001), when compared to controls; whereas, 20 cases had to undergo repeat injections. On FU at 2 months, 16 cases (out of those 20 cases) showed a significant improvement ( P < 0.05), while 4 cases still did not improve clinically at 3 months. All the outcome parameters (ST, NIBUT, TMH, and OSS and OSDI scores) maintained a significant improvement at 6-month FU, including those four cases ( P < 0.001). All the patients were highly satisfied with the intervention. Conclusion: PRPi, as a monotherapy given on pro-re-nata basis, is a simple and efficacious modality of treatment in dry eyes, verified by improvement in subjective and objective tear film parameters.