Organ-cultured corneal endothelium in vivo
W. M. Bourne, D. J. Doughman and R. L. Lindstrom
We used the clinical specular microscope to examine the endothelium of 14
clear penetrating corneal grafts that ranged from 4 days to 2 1/2 years
posttransplantation. All the donor corneas had been preserved in organ
culture at 37 C for up to five weeks before grafting. Ten of the
transplants were aphakic. The graft endothelial cell density, although less
than that of normal corneas of the same age, was similar to that of other
transplants done by the same two surgeons using alternate methods of donor
preservation. We found a significant inverse correlation between graft
endothelial cell density and the age of the corneal donor.
