title: In vivo confocal microscopy of Fleck dystrophy and pre-Descemet's membrane corneal dystrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the value of in vivo confocal microscopy (CM) in the diagnosis of Fleck dystrophy and pre-Descemet's membrane corneal dystrophy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report of two patients. Standard slit-lamp and ophthalmic examination and in vivo CM were performed on both patients. The thickness of the cornea and the morphology of the corneal epithelium, stroma, endothelium, and subbasal nerves were evaluated by confocal microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biomicroscopy revealed bilateral, fine, dust-, and flour-like opacities in the corneal stroma for the Fleck dystrophy patient. In the pre-Descemet's membrane corneal dystrophy patient, biomicroscopy showed opacities larger than those in the first patient. Both patients were then examined by in vivo CM. Confocal microscopy of the Fleck dystrophy showed intracellular deposits throughout the stroma. In pre-Descemet's membrane corneal dystrophy, however, these and the extracellular deposits were observed immediately anterior to Descemet's membrane. The thicknesses of the corneas were 560 and 650 microm for Fleck and pre-Descemet's membrane corneal dystrophy, respectively. The surface epithelium, subbasal nerves, and endothelium showed normal morphology in both patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In vivo CM is a valuable tool in diagnosing rare corneal dystrophies when the final diagnosis is difficult to obtain with conventional methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 220, 00029 HUS, Finland. juha.holopainen@hus.fi
authors.forename: Juha M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Holopainen
authors.forename: Jukka A O
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moilanen
authors.forename: Timo M T
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Tervo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000473:pathology*; D003886:Descemet Membrane / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged