Scheimpflug Camera Measurement of Optical Density of the Corneal Epithelium, Stroma, and Endothelium in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome.

BACKGROUND The present study evaluated the optical density of particular layers of the cornea and anterior lens capsule in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX). MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty patients with cataract and PEX (mean age 76.6±5.6 years, range 62-88 years) were compared to 55 controls with cataract without PEX syndrome (mean age 76.3±6.09 years, range 62-90 years; P>0.05). The anterior segment of one eye was examined in each patient using Pentacam HR by Oculus before the planned cataract surgery. RESULTS The average optical density of the corneal epithelium, stroma, and endothelium was 25.3±6.09% and 19.9±3.41% (P<0.001), 23.1±5.5% and 19.2±3.6% (P<0.0001), and 14.6±3.4% and 12.3±2.1% (P<0.0001) in the PEX and control groups, respectively. The optical density of the anterior lens capsule was 13.6±4.2% in the PEX group and 9.74± 2.23% in the control group (P<0.0001). The average thickness of the cornea was 555 μm and 556 μm and the average optical density of endothelial cells 2240/mm² and 2323/mm² in the PEX and control groups, respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS In patients with PEX, increased optical density was observed not only in the structures with pseudoexfoliative material detectable by a slit-lamp), but also in the corneal epithelium and stroma. The increased optical density was not associated with reduced endothelial cell density or increased central cornea thickness.