Positive correlation of corneal thickness and endothelial cell loss. Serial measurements after cataract surgery
H. Cheng, A. K. Bates, L. Wood and K. McPherson
Eye Hospital, Oxford, England.
A significant linear correlation was found between increase in corneal
thickness (delta CT) in the immediate postoperative period and percentage
of cell loss one and six months after surgery in a prospective study on
cataract surgery. Eyes were grouped according to delta CT, and the groups
were compared according to the percentage of cell loss. Eyes with delta CT
of 0.1 mm or more at five days lost significantly more cells at one and six
months than eyes with delta CT of less than 0.025 mm. Eyes were then
regrouped according to the percentage of cell loss. Those with cell loss of
30% or more were found to have significantly greater delta CT at 48 hours
and five days than eyes with cell loss of less than 30%. The derived
probability of cell loss of 30% or more increases the greater the value of
delta CT. For delta CT of 100 micron or more at five days, the probability
of high cell loss is 30%; this is nearly three times the likelihood that
high cell loss had occurred when delta CT is less than 100 micron. Our
results suggest that delta CT could be a useful clinical indicator of
endothelial cell loss.
