TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantification of stromal thinning, epithelial thickness, and corneal haze after photorefractive keratectomy using in vivo confocal microscopy
AU - Moller-Pedersen, T.
AU - Vogel, M.
AU - Hong Fang Li, Fang Li
AU - Petroll, Walter M
AU - Cavanagh, Harrison D
AU - Jester, J. V.
N1 - Funding Information:
Originally received: July 24, 1996. Revision accepted: November 4, 1996. 1 Department of Ophthalmology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. 2 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas. The authors have no proprietary interest in any of the equipment mentioned in this article. Supported in part by the Danish Eye Research Foundation (TMP), the Danish Association for Prevention of Eye Diseases and Blindness (TMP), the Novo Nordisk Foundation (TMP), the Reinhold! W. Jorck Foundation (TMP), the Danish Medical Research Council (TMP), NIH EY07348 (JVJ), and Senior Scientist Awards (JVJ, HDC), Manpower
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Purpose: The authors establish, for the first time, observer-independent quantification of stromal thinning, epithelial thickness, and corneal haze after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) using a unique, new form of in vive confocal microscopy. Methods: Rapid, continuous z-scans of high-resolution confocal images, termed confocal microscopy through focusing (CMTF), were performed in the central corneal area of 17 patients before and 1 month after PRK for low- to moderate-grade myopia (-2.88--9.13 diopters [D]). Corneal, epithelial, and stromal thickness measurements and an objective haze estimate were obtained from each CMTF scan by digital image analysis. Results: Epithelial thickness averaged 51 ± 4 μm before and 45 ± 10 μm 1 month post-PRK (P < 0.005), whereas stromal thinning ranged from 20 to 154 pm, representing a direct estimate of the actual photoablation depth. Corneal thickness averaged 560 ± 36 μm before PRK and 462 ± 52 μm at 1 month. The change in corneal thickness correlated closely with the change in spherical equivalent refraction (r = 0.94, P < 0.0001); linear regression analysis revealed a value of 14.3 μm corneal thinning per diopter of correction. A significant correlation was found between the objective CMTF haze estimate and a clinical haze grading obtained by slit-lamp examination (r = 0.73, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Confocal microscopy through focusing is a new, powerful in vivo tool that enables quantitative, unbiased evaluation of PRK procedures over time by providing epithelial and stromal thickness analysis, photoablation depth assessment, and unbiased haze measurement. The method is uniquely valuable in the pre- and postoperative assessment of PRK patients and for determining the optimal treatment strategy, especially in assessing refractive and visual outcomes in individual cases.
AB - Purpose: The authors establish, for the first time, observer-independent quantification of stromal thinning, epithelial thickness, and corneal haze after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) using a unique, new form of in vive confocal microscopy. Methods: Rapid, continuous z-scans of high-resolution confocal images, termed confocal microscopy through focusing (CMTF), were performed in the central corneal area of 17 patients before and 1 month after PRK for low- to moderate-grade myopia (-2.88--9.13 diopters [D]). Corneal, epithelial, and stromal thickness measurements and an objective haze estimate were obtained from each CMTF scan by digital image analysis. Results: Epithelial thickness averaged 51 ± 4 μm before and 45 ± 10 μm 1 month post-PRK (P < 0.005), whereas stromal thinning ranged from 20 to 154 pm, representing a direct estimate of the actual photoablation depth. Corneal thickness averaged 560 ± 36 μm before PRK and 462 ± 52 μm at 1 month. The change in corneal thickness correlated closely with the change in spherical equivalent refraction (r = 0.94, P < 0.0001); linear regression analysis revealed a value of 14.3 μm corneal thinning per diopter of correction. A significant correlation was found between the objective CMTF haze estimate and a clinical haze grading obtained by slit-lamp examination (r = 0.73, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Confocal microscopy through focusing is a new, powerful in vivo tool that enables quantitative, unbiased evaluation of PRK procedures over time by providing epithelial and stromal thickness analysis, photoablation depth assessment, and unbiased haze measurement. The method is uniquely valuable in the pre- and postoperative assessment of PRK patients and for determining the optimal treatment strategy, especially in assessing refractive and visual outcomes in individual cases.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0161-6420(97)30307-8
DO - 10.1016/S0161-6420(97)30307-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 9082257
AN - SCOPUS:0030985492
SN - 0161-6420
VL - 104
SP - 360
EP - 368
JO - Ophthalmology
JF - Ophthalmology
IS - 3
ER -