Risk of Prion Disease Transmission from Ocular Donor Tissue Transplantation

Abstract

Historical queries of potential corneal donors should be tightened to assure exclusion of donors with early neurologic alterations. Any patient undergoing autopsy for evaluation of possible central nervous system (CNS) disease should be absolutely excluded. With this approach, the risk of inclusion of CJD-infected transplant tissues derived from ocular sources is very small, and all previously reported cases would have been prospectively excluded from surgical use. Clearly, the benefits of corneal transplantation in the overall population continue significantly to outweigh the risks of transmission of prion disease.