White-light and laser confocal microscopic findings of rabbit conjunctiva.
OBJECTIVE
To report laser and white-light confocal microscopic findings of ex vivo rabbit conjunctiva to investigate the potential application of these confocal microscopes as diagnostic devices for normal and pathologic conjunctiva.


METHODS
Three male albino rabbits were killed and six eyeballs were removed with as much bulbar conjunctiva as possible. The bulbar conjunctiva approximately 5 mm away from the limbus was then subjected to an ex vivo laser and white-light confocal microscopic analysis.


RESULTS
Using laser confocal microscopy, conjunctival epithelial cells, subepithelial conjunctival vessels, and sclera were clearly observed. By contrast, white-light confocal microscopy yielded images of conjunctival epithelium, subepithelial layers, and sclera that were not clearly defined.


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that laser confocal microscopy has a superior ability to visualize ex vivo, non-fixed conjunctiva when compared with white-light confocal microscopy. It also suggests that the laser confocal microscope might be a useful, non-invasive, in vivo, "quasi-cytological" device for observing and diagnosing the conjunctival condition in humans.
Kobayashi
Akira
A
Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Ishikawa-prefecture, Japan.
Yoshita
Tsuyoshi
T
Sugiyama
Kazuhisa
K
D000818:Animals; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology*; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D012590:Sclera / Q000166:cytology