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


METHODS
Two healthy volunteers, 28- and 35-year-old men, participated in this study. The temporal bulbar conjunctiva, which was approximately 5 mm away from the limbus, was examined by in vivo laser and white-light confocal microscopic analysis.


RESULTS
Using laser confocal microscopy, at least two different cell types could be distinguished in both subjects: conjunctival superficial epithelial cells and conjunctival basal epithelial cells. In contrast, conjunctival epithelial cells could not be visualized using white-light confocal microscopy.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that laser confocal microscopy, but not white-light confocal microscopy, can be used to visualize in vivo human conjunctiva. Further investigations in a large number of normal subjects and in patients with conjunctival pathologies are required to fully evaluate the usefulness of this device in daily clinical ophthalmology.
Kobayashi
Akira
A
Department of Ophthalmolog, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Ishikawa-prefecture 920-8641, Japan.
Yoshita
Tsuyoshi
T
Sugiyama
Kazuhisa
K
D000328:Adult; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000166:cytology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*