Goblet cell density in thermal and chemical injuries
M. Ohji, G. Ohmi, A. Kiritoshi and S. Kinoshita
Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Abnormality of the conjunctival epithelium was evaluated in ten patients
with severe thermal and chemical injuries at the scarred stage, eight
patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, five with cicatricial ocular
pemphigoid, and 13 normal subjects, based on goblet cell densities obtained
using impression cytologic examination. The average and SDs of goblet cell
densities were 197.4 +/- 264.4/mm2 in thermal and chemical injuries, 3.0
+/- 5.6/mm2 in Stevens-Johnson syndrome, 0.6 +/- 0.8/mm2 in cicatricial
ocular pemphigoid, and 38.7 +/- 25.8/mm2 in normal subjects. There were
statistically significant differences in goblet cell densities between
thermal and chemical injuries and both Stevens-Johnson syndrome and
cicatricial ocular pemphigoid. Moreover, conjunctival specimens from both
eyes in six unilateral cases of thermal and chemical injuries revealed
higher goblet cell densities in the injured than in the normal fellow eyes
in all cases. These findings imply that ocular surface diseases with
similar clinical manifestations may have different cell-biologic
abnormalities in the conjunctival epithelium.
