Long-term changes of the corneal endothelium following intracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of open-loop anterior chamber lenses.
The central corneal endothelium of a consecutive group of 158 patients with senile cataract was examined before intracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of an open-loop anterior chamber lens and 6, 12 and 48 months after surgery. Corneal endothelial morphometry was performed using an automated digital image analysis system. After 6 months of follow-up, there was an average loss of 10.8% in central corneal endothelial cell density, which increased to 14.8% after 12 months and 18.8% after 48 months. The early post-operative endothelial cell loss was correlated significantly with a decrease of cell pattern stability and polymegathism (P less than 0.0001). There was also a significant correlation between the continuous post-operative cell loss and the simultaneous changes of pattern stability and polymegathism and the age at the time of surgery (P less than 0.05).
Stur
M
M
Department of Ophthalmology II, University of Vienna, Austria.
D000368:Aged; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors