AIM: To explore the inhibitive effects of cervical lymphadenectomy on keratoplasy after alkaline burns. METHODS: The Wistar rats' corneas were transplanted into Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats' eyes which were randomly divided into 4 groups: group A (control group); group B, the cervical lymphadenectomy group; group C, corneal transplantation after the alkali burn injury; group D, cervical lymphadenectomy following group C. Out of 6 rats in each group, the cornea of one rat was used for macrophage immunohistochemistry at day 14 after the transplantation, and the remaining 5 rats were used for studying corneal immune rejection with a slit lamp. The time when allograft rejection occurred was recorded and mean survival times (MST) were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Compared with the MST of group A (10.40 +/- 1.14 days),the MST of group B(46.30 +/- 9.46 days) was significantly longer (P<0.05). MST of grafts between group C (7.00 +/- 1.58 days) and group D (15.00 +/- 3.39 days) was also significant (P<0.05). At 14(th) day after the transplantation, there was no CD(68) immunoreactivity in the graft of group B, and CD(68) proteins were expressed to some extent in the grafts of group A and D. However, in the graft of group C, the expression of proteins was dramatically up-regulated. CONCLUSION: Cervical lymphadenectomy therapy has a significant effect in preventing corneal allograft rejection in normal and alkali burned corneal beds.