Bowman's layer in penetrating keratoplasties of the human eye

Light microscopy disclosed ten examples of Bowman's layer incarcerations into the stromal wound in nine of 23 penetrating keratoplasty globes obtained either after death or by enucleation. Two cases involved separation of Bowman's layer from the underlying stroma. In the others, this layer remained attached to its stroma, and incarceration resulted from either fragmentation or malapposition of wound edges. Six of the incarcerations produced wound defects, and, of these three were associated with epithelial growth into the wound. These properties of Bowman's layer must be considered in the repair of corneal lacerations as well as in the performance of penetrating keratoplasties and epikeratophakia.