AIM: To study the effect of phototherapeutic keratectomy(PTK)on rabbit bacterial corneal ulcer model and explore the clinical potential of this method.

METHODS: Totally 48 eyes from all the 24 New Zealand rabbits were inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus and bacterial corneal ulcer model was established successfully. At 1d after inoculation, 48 eyes were given levofloxacin eye drops when corneal ulcer was confirmed. Then slit lamp inspection and optical coherence tomography(OCT)were performed to measure the central corneal ulcer depth. All the rabbits right eyes were treated with PTK, as an observation group, left eyes were not treated as a control group. The eye section were observed by slit lamp and central thickness of corneal ulcer was measured by OCT at 3 and 7d after this operation. Rabbits were sacrificed and the cornea was removed for pathological section 7d later.

RESULTS: The corneal ulcers in both groups had a tendency to heal, showing a decrease in ulcer area and smoothness of the surface. There was no significant difference in the depth of corneal ulcer between the observation group and the control group before PTK(t=0.706, P=0.484). The difference between the two groups of eyes at 3 and 7d after PTK was obviously(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: PTK can effectively cure rabbit Staphylococcus aureus corneal ulcer and promote ulcer wound healing, which may be used for clinical treatment of patients with bacterial corneal lesions.