title: Long-term follow-up of cryopreserved corneal endothelium. A specular microscopic study.
abstract: This paper deals with the long-term survival of corneal transplant endothelial cells. Endothelia of 17 cryopreserved corneal transplants were photographed with a specular microscope, first 1.5 years (mean) following transplantation, and again 10 years later. All transplants were absolutely clear. The mean cell loss was 23% in 12 years. After 2 to 14 years post-operatively the cell loss was noticed to be only 13.6% (from 990 +/- 255 cells/mm2 to 855 +/- 213 cells/mm2). It seems that endothelial cells of cryopreserved corneal grafts, although few in number, are still quite resistant and viable after a long follow-up time and survive like endothelial cells after preservation in tissue culture media.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruusuvaara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Setälä
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D013997:Time Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*