PURPOSE We investigated the keratocyte response and stromal remodeling after corneal incision and photorefractive keratectomy to understand the histophysiological and immunohistochemical differences between these two types of surgery. METHODS Corneal incision or photorefractive keratectomy was performed in rabbits or rats. Then we chronologically observed the histological changes and the chan...

PURPOSE To investigate the morphological characteristics of keratocytes and the interconnection of keratocytes with adjacent keratocytes using the flat preparation method and scanning electron microscopy with a frontal section of the human corneal stroma. METHODS The thin, corneal collagen lamellae were carefully dissected from the cornea (n=7), which had been stained by the flat preparation ...

Keratocytes are fibroblast-like cells that maintain the optical clarity and the overall health of the cornea. The ability to measure precisely their density and spatial distribution in the cornea is important for the understanding of corneal healing processes and the diagnostics of some corneal disorders. A novel computerized approach to detection and counting of keratocyte cells from ultra hig...

PURPOSE To compare the response of the cornea to laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with flap creation using the IntraLase FS15, FS30, and FS60 femtosecond lasers. METHODS A retrospective analysis of 55 patients (55 eyes) who underwent LASIK with flap creation using IntraLase was performed. Twelve FS15 patients (12 eyes), 14 FS30 patients (14 eyes), and 29 FS60 patients (29 eyes) were exami...

In this issue of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology , Poole, Brookes and Clover describe confocal microscope 3-D imaging and volume rendering reconstruction of the keratocyte network in the human corneal stroma. 1 They have used the cell tracker dye 5-chloromethylfluorescein diacetate (CMFDA) to show exquisite detail of the stromal network, following up earlier work they have completed on ...

· AIM: To quantify corneal ultrastructure using laser scanning confocal microscopy (IVCM) in patients with keratoconus and control subjects. · METHODS: Unscarred corneas of 78 keratoconic subjects without a history of contact lens use and 36 age-matched control subjects were evaluated with slitlamp examination (SLE), corneal topography and laser scanning IVCM. One eye was randomly chosen for an...