title: Characteristics of the cornea in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify the morphological alterations in corneal nerve fibers and cells in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) and their relationship with the presence of hyperreflective endothelial deposits observed using in vivo confocal microscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  One eye each of 37 patients with PEX and 20 age-matched healthy control subjects was evaluated by in vivo corneal confocal microscopy. Patients with PEX were further classified into two groups: those with and without hyperreflective endothelial deposits. We evaluated the densities of basal epithelial cells, anterior and posterior stromal keratocytes, and endothelial cells and structure of sub-basal nerve fibers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean anterior and posterior stromal keratocyte and endothelial cell densities and corneal sub-basal nerve plexus variables were significantly lower in patients with PEX compared with those in healthy control subjects. The mean basal epithelial cell density did not significantly differ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eyes with PEX presented decreased corneal sub-basal nerve plexus variables and cell densities in all corneas, except for the mean basal epithelial cell density. Further, a trend of lower corneal sub-basal nerve plexus measurements in patients with hyperreflective endothelial deposits compared with those without endothelial deposits was observed.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Refik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oltulu
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gunhal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Satirtav
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine Tinkir
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Kayitmazbatir
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulfidan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bitirgen
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkagnici
authors.affiliation: Medical Education and Informatics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karaibrahimoglu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002452:Cell Count; D003315:Cornea / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric