The keratoconus epithelium studied by SEM.
A keratoconus removed from an 18-year-old male was processed for SEM and examined with special attention for the epithelial surface. A broad degenerative band was found running in the vertical meridian, showing areas devoid of, or with only partially attached, epithelial cells, and also areas with abnormal cells either, with a defective cell membrane and without cell contents or with an intact cell membrane but without a cell nucleus. Stereoscopic images of these defective cells show that cell degeneration is sometimes found several cell layers deep into the epithelium.
Centre for Medical Electronmicroscopy, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
W L
WL
Jongebloed
J F
JF
Worst
D000293:Adolescent; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning