[Evaluation of corneal tissue by slit lamp and specular microscopy during the preservation period].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze changes evaluation of corneal grafts by slit lamp and electron microscopy examination in order to ensure a donor cornea of good quality level for the patient.


METHODS
203 corneas donated to the Sorocaba Eye Bank between September 2002 and February 2003 were prospectively evaluated. The evaluation was graded from 0 to 3 according to the following factors: exposure and epithelial damage, stromal opacity, Descemet folds, pleomorphism, polymegatism and guttata, endothelial snail track, edema, reflectivity. The data were correlated with time between death and preservation, endothelial cell count and donor's age.


RESULTS
203 corneas were evaluated. The mean age of donors was 55 years (dp= 14.8 years). The mean time between death and preservation was 9.1 h (minimum of 2 h and maximum of 25 h). Eighty-six corneas suffered worsening of evaluation, whereby 66.3% had less than 2,500 endothelial cell count and 59.3% presented time between death and preservation over 6 hours. The mean day of the grading change was the 5th.


CONCLUSIONS
Corneal grafts from younger donors had significantly better evaluation than those of older donors. The mean time of the evaluation change was on the 5th day in 50% of the corneas, however, an expressive number of corneas suffered changes on the 6th, 7th and 8th day. Corneal graft preserved after 6 hours of death had a greater tendency to lower cell count and to decrease in evaluation grades.
Farias
Roberta Jansen de Mello
RJ
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. robertafarias@bol.com.br
Kubokawa
Karen Miyuki
KM
Schirmer
Maurício
M
Sousa
Luciene Barbosa de
LB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009926:Organ Preservation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014015:Tissue Banks / Q000592:standards*; D014019:Tissue Donors