Specular microscopy before and after enucleation of live donor eyes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the results of specular microscopic examination of corneal endothelium before and after enucleation of eyes from live donors.


METHODS
Endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation of cell area (CV), and percent hexagonal cells were compared for 34 cornea donors before enucleation of their eyes and after excision of the corneoscleral rims and placement in preservative media.


RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference in ECD, CV, or percent six-sided cells after enucleation. The pre-enucleation and post-enucleation ECD measurements were significantly correlated (rs = .85, P < .0001). Mean percentage change in ECD was -0.7% +/- 6.0%.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no significant difference in ECD, CV, or percent six-sided cells between measurements taken from the epithelial side in vivo and those taken of the same corneas from the endothelial side in vitro after enucleation and corneoscleral rim excision. These findings suggest that it is reasonable to compare postkeratoplasty clinical measurements with those of the donor corneas taken in the eye bank.
Wiffen
S J
SJ
Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Maguire
L J
LJ
Nelson
L R
LR
Bourne
W M
WM
D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology*; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D009926:Organ Preservation; D014019:Tissue Donors