[A pathological study on rabbit corneas after laser in situ keratomileusis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate pathological changes in rabbit corneas after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).


METHODS
We performed LASIK on rabbit corneas to theoretically correct 10.0 diopters of myopia. The corneas were studied pathologically at day 0, and 3 days, 1 week, 3 weeks, 4 months, and 9 months after LASIK.


RESULTS
At 3 days after LASIK, keratocytes in the ablated area changed morphologically into fibroblastic cells. And the structure of collagen fibers in the stroma was broken. These changes had disappeared almost entirely at 4 months after LASIK. There were no proliferative changes in the stroma of the ablated cornea 9 months after LASIK. No significant changes were observed in the endothelium.


CONCLUSIONS
The damage to rabbit corneas induced by LASIK was mild to moderate under the present experimental conditions.
Hosoda
Y
Y
Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Nakayasu
K
K
D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D007834:Lasers; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011817:Rabbits; D013997:Time Factors