External hypoxia and corneal hydration dynamics

Optical pachometry was used to monitor thickness increases in six human corneas exposed to an anoxic external environment. Corneal swelling was observed to occur to an extent consistent with an earlier study (5%/hr or 25mu m/hr). Use of Darcy's law allows analysis of the "pump-leak" equilibrium, which leads to the conclusion that any direct interference by surface anoxia affecting corneal hydration must be at the endothelial side of the cornea.