[Determination of the conjunctival goblet cell density in 43 normal subjects]

The goblet cell density in the nasai inferior fornical conjunctiva was determined in 43 normal subjects (57 eyes). The mean number of goblets per 100 epithelial cells was found to be 10.17 +/- 2.81 in the young averaging 25 years and 5.25 +/- 3.38 in the aged averaging 62 years (P less than 0.01). The relation between the morphological features of the epithelial cells and the number of goblet cells was discussed.