title: In vivo laser confocal microscopic analysis of corneal K-structures after keratorefractive surgery (LASIK and epi-LASIK).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate alterations of corneal K-structures (sub-Bowman's fibrous structures) after keratorefractive surgery by in vivo laser confocal microscopy and to look for association of K-structures with fluorescein-stained anterior corneal mosaic (ACM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients (nine eyes) participated in this study. For four patients, one eye was evaluated after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and the other after epipolis-laser in situ keratomileusis (epi-LASIK). For one patient, the left eye was evaluated after epithelial debridement. A photograph of the ACM was obtained. Central corneal regions were scanned by Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 2 Rostock Cornea Module (Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ACM and K-structures disappeared in all corneas after epi-LASIK, but not after LASIK and epithelial debridement cornea.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of K-structures and ACM may be an index to identify eyes that had a previous refractive surgical procedure (surface ablation or LASIK) and be a health index of Bowman layer and adjacent anterior stroma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokogawa
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Kosaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tagawa
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050541:Bowman Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D021961:Cell Membrane Structures / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020731:Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D054140:Refractive Surgical Procedures; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult