Abstract

CARDENAS DIAZ, Taimi et al. Characterization of the corneal endothelium in patients requiring cataract surgery. Rev Cubana Oftalmol [online]. 2013, vol.26, n.1, pp. 39-47. ISSN 0864-2176.

Objective: to describe the morphology of corneal endothelium in patients requiring cataract surgery. Methods: adescriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 200 eyes from 127 patients distributed into 86 females and 41 males, who required cataract surgery. All the patients were examined with slit-lamp method to look for corneal guttas and were performed Topcon specular microscopy SP3000P. Images were analyzed and the cell density, the variability coefficient, the cell hexagonality and pachymetry were all evaluated. Results: females predominated with 86 patients in both groups and most aged 60-79 years. The average cell density was 2238.19 cell/mm2 that significantly decreased with the age increase, and it did not show any differences between the sexes. The average variability coefficient, hexagonality and pachymetry did not show significant differences in terms of age and sex. The presence of corneal guttas predominated in females (103; 76.9 %.) but the difference between the sexes was significant. Conclusions: as the age increases, the cell density diminishes but the variability coefficient increases and there are no differences between the sexes. The close relationship between the decreased cell density and the increased pachymetry is proved. Additionally, the study presents the normal parameters of the corneal endothelium in patients requiring cataract surgery in our setting.

Keywords : specular microscopy; endothelial cell density; coefficient of variability; cell hexagonality; pachymetry; corneal guttas.

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