title: In vivo laser confocal microscopy findings of a cornea with osteogenesis imperfecta.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the in vivo laser confocal microscopy findings of a cornea with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) with special attention to the abnormality of Bowman's layer and sub-Bowman's fibrous structures (K-structures).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patients (67-year-old male and his 26-year-old son) with OI type I were included in this study. Slit lamp biomicroscopic and in vivo laser confocal microscopic examinations were performed for both patients. Central corneal thickness and central endothelial cell density were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the corneas looked clear with normal endothelial density for both eyes in both patients, they were quite thin (386 μm oculus dexter (OD) (the right eye) and 384 μm oculus sinister (OS) (the left eye) in the father and 430 μm OD and 425 μm OS in the son). In both patients, slit lamp biomicroscopic and in vivo laser confocal microscopic examination showed similar results. Anterior corneal mosaics produced by rubbing the eyelid under fluorescein were completely absent in both eyes. In vivo laser confocal microscopy revealed an absent or atrophic Bowman's layer; a trace of a presumed Bowman's layer and/or basement membrane was barely visible with high intensity. Additionally, K-structures were completely absent in both eyes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of K-structures and fluorescein anterior corneal mosaics strongly suggested an abnormality of Bowman's layer in these OI patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashide
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokogawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
keywords: Bowman’s layer; K-structure; confocal microscopy; osteogenesis imperfecta