title: Automated assessment of keratocyte density in clinical confocal microscopy of the corneal stroma.
abstract: Cell density in the corneal stroma is typically determined by counting the number of bright objects, presumably keratocyte nuclei, in images from clinical confocal microscopy. We present a program that identifies bright objects and counts those that most likely represent cells. Selection variables were determined from 125 normal corneas with cell densities that had been assessed manually. The program was tested on 17 corneas of patients before and at several intervals to 5 years after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery. In these corneas, which showed a decrease in cell density after surgery, the program identified cells as well as human observers did.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. mclaren.jay@mayo.edu
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McLaren
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Nau
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Bourne
mesh_terms: D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000166:cytology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery