Evaluation of the Ovine Corneal Endothelium Using a Human Eye Bank Specular Microscope

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of visualizing and quantitatively analyzing the corneal endothelium of sheep using a specular microscope designed for a human eye bank. Twenty-four healthy corneas from 12 one-year-old male sheep (Ovis aries) were examined. Four central endothelial images per cornea were analyzed using a semi-automated method. Endothelial parameters were automatically calculated by the proprietary software integrated into the specular microscope, including endothelial cell density (ECD), average cell area (AVE), coefficient of variation (CV) in cell size, and percentage of hexagonal cells (HEX). Data normality was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and paired comparisons between right and left eyes were performed using Student's t-test. High-quality endothelial images were successfully obtained from all corneas. The mean ECD was 3198.3 ± 428.3 cells/mm², AVE was 318.7 ± 42.3 μm², CV in cell size was 38.0% ± 7.9%, and HEX was 57.7%. No statistically significant differences were observed between right and left eyes for any parameter (p > 0.05). A human eye bank specular microscope allows reliable visualization and quantitative assessment of the ovine corneal endothelium, demonstrating its applicability in experimental and translational veterinary ophthalmology.