title: Postmortem ultrastructural analysis of a cornea transplanted with Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the ultrastructure of the host-donor interface in the eye of a recently deceased patient, who had undergone Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  The eye was enucleated postmortem, and after standard decontamination, the corneoscleral button was excised, cut into 4 quadrants, and processed for light and transmission electron microscopy evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transmission electron microscopy revealed close attachment of the donor's Descemet membrane to the host's stroma and projection of stromal collagen fibers into the interfacial matrix, resembling a normal "virgin" corneal architecture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrastructurally, an attached Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty graft closely resembles that of an unoperated, healthy eye with no appreciable adventitious or missing structures.
authors: *Melles Cornea Clinic Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; †Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; ‡Amnitrans Eye Bank Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and §Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors: Eitan
authors: E
authors: Livny
authors: Jack S
authors: JS
authors: Parker
authors: Mariëlle
authors: M
authors: van der Kaaij
authors: Elize D
authors: ED
authors: Haasdijk
authors: Jacqueline
authors: J
authors: van der Wees
authors: Marieke
authors: M
authors: Bruinsma
authors: Gerrit R J
authors: GR
authors: Melles
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D003315:Cornea / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003886:Descemet Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D057111:Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D005642:Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy / Q000601:surgery*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D000267:Tissue Adhesions; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D066027:Transplant Recipients