The corneal endothelium 12 months after photorefractive keratectomy in high myopia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if photorefractive keratectomy with a 193 nm excimer laser could cause human corneal endothelial changes, mainly in high dioptric treatments.


METHODS
18 patients underwent a treatment ranging from 7 to 13 diopters at the corneal apex (mean 10.3 +/- 1.4 SD) with an estimated corneal thinning ranging from 62 to 116 microns (mean 90.7 +/- 12 SD). In these patients a comparison between the number and shape of the corneal endothelial cells has been performed before and 12 months after PRK.


RESULTS
The mean cell density was 2818 +/- 337 mm2, before surgery, and 2894 +/- 301 mm2 after 12 months. The polymorphic index was 79.0 +/- 2.3, before surgery, and 81.0 +/- 5.0 after 12 months with no significant changes (p = 0.16 and P = 0.09, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that photorefractive keratectomy does not cause any significant observable damage to the central corneal endothelium up to 12 months after surgery, even in high myopic treatments.
Cennamo
G
G
Eye Department, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
Rosa
N
N
Del Prete
A
A
Breve
M A
MA
Sebastiani
A
A
D000328:Adult; D002452:Cell Count; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D013997:Time Factors