[An ultrastructural study of the rabbit cornea after radial keratotomy]

4 groups of rabbits were done radial keratotomy with diamond or steel blades, and with or without steroid medication, for corneal electron microscopic examinations after 1 month and 3 months. Postoperative subacute ultrastructural damages of various degrees existed from epithelium to endothelium in all groups, but the total endothelial damage was less than 10%. The endothelial damages were more pronounced in 3 months than in 1 month; the group of steel blades manifested looser nucleoli in the epithelium and the cellular junctions were less close. The endothelial cells in the group without steroid medication were more edematous.