Changes in the corneal endothelium after acute anterior uveitis as seen with the specular microscope

In order to investigate whether inflammation of the anterior uveal tract is accompanied by a loss of endothelial cells, 13 patients with previous unilateral attacks of anterior uveitis were photographed with the non-contact specular microscope. All patients had shown an increased thickness or frank oedema of the cornea during the acute phase of the inflammation. As compared to the healthy eye, only two patients (15%) showed endothelial cell densities on the affected side which were lower than was to be expected from the normal difference between counts from left and right eye in a control population of 36 subjects. The two patients with detectable cell loss also showed defects in the specular reflex, the significance of which is discussed.