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Updated: Jun 9, 2025
Full-Field Optical Coherence Microscopy for Histology-Like Analysis of Stromal Features in Corneal Grafts
Published on: October 21, 2022
Findings in Corneal Endothelium by Confocal and Specular Microscopy in Patients with Fuchs Uveitis Syndrome
Miguel O Ibanez-Esparza1, Roberto González-Salinas2, Luz-Elena Concha-Del-Río1
1Inflammatory Eye Diseases Clinic, Asociación para Evitar la Ceguera en México, IAP, Mexico City, Mexico.
Purpose:
To compare corneal endothelial changes in patients with Fuchs Uveitis Syndrome (FUS) undergoing phacoemulsification surgery using confocal and specular microscopy.
Methods:
We included 14 patients with unilateral FUS and cataracts who underwent phacoemulsification surgery in a Mexican referral center for inflammatory eye diseases. Preoperative confocal and specular microscopies were conducted, establishing baseline images for subsequent analyses. Surgery on the FUS eye was performed by a single surgeon and an intraocular lens was implanted in all cases. Both specular and confocal microscopy were repeated 6 months after FUS eye surgery and compared with baseline images. We used Image J to do a manual segmentation of KP and determine their density for further analysis hence developing a new tool for confocal microscopy image analysis.
Results:
All patients underwent uneventful phacoemulsification surgery in the FUS eye. There was no significant change in endothelial cell density (ECD) from 2257 (±508.2) cells/mm2 preoperatively to 2214 (±535.1) cells/mm2 postoperatively (p = 0.809). Confocal microscopy revealed a decrease in Keratic Precipitate Density (KPD) from a median of 1413 (±2809.7) KPs/mm2 preoperatively to a median of 685.5 (1527.9) KPs/mm2 postoperatively (p = 0.036).
Conclusions:
Phacoemulsification surgery in patients with FUS produces no significant loss of endothelial cells and morphological changes that can be detected by confocal and specular microscopy. We found a reduction in KPD 6 months after surgery on confocal microscopy. Additionally, our manual segmentation technique for KPs utilizing Image J offers a novel and practical approach for confocal microscopy image analysis.
