Endothelial findings in cryopreserved corneal transplants

Specular microscopy of the corneal endothelium was performed on 16 eyes that had undergone corneal transplantation using cryopreserved donor material seven months to nine years previously. The average cell count was 817 cells/mm2 with a range of 360 cells/mm2 to 1808 cells/mm2. Grafts from donors under 30 years of age which had a very short death to freezing time showed a higher endothelial cell density than grafts from older donors with a longer death to freezing time. The most prominent findings were very large, multinucleated endothelial cells that are thought to be the result of cell fusion.