Corneal endothelial cell density in healthy Caucasian population.

AIM: To reveal the changes of corneal endothelial characteristics with aging among Caucasian population.

METHODS: Non-contact specular microscopy was performed in 564 eyes of 282 healthy Caucasian Turkish patients. Endothelial cell density (MCD), mean cell area (MCA), coefficient of variation (CV) in cell size, percentage of hexagonal cells, and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured.

RESULTS: The mean age was 42 ± 17.1 (6-85) years. The MCD of the population was 2732 ± 305 cell/mm(2) (range, 1904-3802 cell/mm(2)). The MCA was 368 ± 41 m(2) (range, 263-522 m(2)). The mean CV in cell size was 34 ± 7 (range, 25-68), the mean percentage of hexagonal cells was 46 ± 8% (range, 25-76%), and CCT was 513 ± 39 (range, 407-623). There was statistically significantly negative correlation (p < 0.05) between age and cell density, hexagonality, and pachymetry. There was statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05) between age and MCA.

CONCLUSION: We report the normal values of corneal endothelial characteristics in Caucasian Turkish eyes. Over the age of 20, the MCD of Caucasian eyes is more than the Indian and Iranian eyes and less than the Chinese eyes. Caucasian population's cell density in under the age of 20 is 3101 ± 268 cell/mm(2).