Predictive factors for endothelial cell loss after penetrating keratoplasty
D. C. Musch, R. F. Meyer and A. Sugar
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Michigan, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor 48105.
To assess the influence of donor age, donor endothelial cell density,
recipient age, and diagnosis on loss of endothelial cell density after
penetrating keratoplasty, we evaluated endothelial cell density data from
specular endothelial images collected during the follow-up penetrating
keratoplasty surgeries performed from 1980 through 1985 at one center.
Univariate and multivariate analyses of information from 265 grafts showed
consistent and statistically significant associations between 1-year
postoperative loss of endothelial cell density and donor age, donor
endothelial cell density, and recipient age. Corneas obtained from older
donors, corneas with higher donor endothelial cell density, and corneas
transplanted to older recipients demonstrated greater percentage of loss of
endothelial cell density 1 year after surgery. These three factors
accounted for 17% of the total variance in percentage of loss of
endothelial cell density 1 year after surgery.
