Characterization of the Corneal Subbasal Nerve Plexus in Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency

Purpose: To quantify the changes in the subbasal nerve plexus in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) using in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional comparative study, confocal images of 51 eyes of 37 patients with LSCD collected between 2010 and 2015 by the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph III Rostock Corneal Module Confocal Microscope were analyzed. Two independent observers evaluated the scans of the central cornea. Seventeen normal eyes of 13 subjects served as controls. Total subbasal nerve density (SND), density of long nerves (ie, nerves 200 μm or longer), and the degree of tortuosity were quantified. Results: The mean (±SD) total SND and long nerve density were 48.0 ± 34.2 and 9.7 ± 10.9 nerves/mm2, respectively, in all eyes with LSCD and 97.3 ± 29.9 and 35.3 ± 25.3 nerves/mm2, respectively, in eyes of the control group (P
Source: Cornea - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Clinical Science Source Type: research