Purpose: To describe the effectiveness and safety of nicergoline in patients with epithelial corneal defect or corneal ulcer due to neurotrophic keratitis (NK).
Methods: A prospective case series review was performed in 14 patients with NK who started treatment with nicergoline as an off-label prescription from January to November 2020. Patients with a epithelial defect or corneal ulcer due to NK were treated with oral nicergoline.
Results/serial cases: Complete corneal healing was observed in 10 (71.4%) of the 14 patients after 25.6 ± 26.60 days (range 7-90) with nicergoline. In three (21.5%) patients wound healing was not achieved, and one patient (7.1%) was lost to follow-up. The mean time between diagnosis and the starting of nicergoline was 10.92 ± 8.85 days (0-28). No adverse effects of nicergoline were observed.
Conclusion: Nicergoline as an adjunctive treatment for NK showed a potential use in the healing of epithelial defect in real-life clinical practice.
Keywords: Nicergoline; corneal ulcer; neurotrophic keratitis; persistent corneal epithelial defect.