[Postnatal development of corneal endothelial cells in normal children]

Fifty-five eyes of normal children from 2 days to 11 years old were examined with specular microscopy image analyzing system, and the mean cell density (cells/mm2), mean cell area (micron2), coefficient of variation (S.D./mean), percentage of hexagonal cells, and total endothelial cell counts were calculated. The mean cell density, which statistically decreased with age varied from 5305 to 3067. The mean cell area varied from 189 microns2 to 331 microns2. Coefficient of variation and percentage of hexagonal cells varied from 0.13 to 0.26, and from 91 to 72, respectively. Generally children showed lower endothelial cellular pleomorphism and irregularity. Estimated total endothelial cell counts, in consideration of corneal enlargement, varied from 297,000 to 554,000, and showed no remarkable decrease with age. This suggested that the main reason for postnatal decrease of cell density was not cell loss but corneal enlargement.