Erie Jay C, McLaren Jay W, Hodge David O, Bourne William M
Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Cornea. 2005 Aug;24(6):705-9. doi: 10.1097/01.ico.0000154387.51355.39.
To measure subbasal nerve density and orientation in normal human corneas across a broad age range.
Sixty-five normal corneas of 65 subjects were examined by using tandem scanning confocal microscopy. Ages of subjects ranged from 15 to 79 years (mean 46 +/- 19 years), with 5 subjects from each hemidecade. Subbasal nerve fiber bundles appeared as bright, well-defined linear structures in confocal images of the central cornea. Images from 3 to 8 scans per eye (mean 4.6 +/- 1.8 scans) were randomly presented to a masked observer for analysis. The mean subbasal nerve density (total nerve length [microm] within a confocal image [area = 0.166 mm]), the mean nerve number per confocal scan, and the mean nerve orientation were determined by using a custom software program. Correlations between age and nerve density and age and nerve orientation were assessed by using Pearson correlation coefficients.
The subbasal nerve plexus was visible in the central cornea of all subjects. The mean subbasal nerve density was 8404 +/- 2012 microm/mm (range 4735 to 14,018 microm/mm). The mean subbasal nerve number was 4.6 +/- 1.6 nerves (range 1 to 8 nerves). The mean subbasal nerve orientation was 94 +/- 16 degrees (range 58 to 146 degrees). There was no correlation between age and subbasal nerve density (r = 0.21, P = 0.09) or between age and subbasal nerve orientation (r = -0.19, P = 0.12).
The density and orientation of the subbasal nerve plexus in the central human cornea does not change with age.
测量广泛年龄范围内正常人角膜基底膜下神经密度和神经走向。
使用串联扫描共聚焦显微镜检查65名受试者的65只正常角膜。受试者年龄范围为15至79岁（平均46±19岁），每5岁为一组。基底膜下神经纤维束在中央角膜的共聚焦图像中呈现为明亮、界限清晰的线性结构。每只眼睛3至8次扫描（平均4.6±1.8次扫描）的图像随机呈现给一名不知情的观察者进行分析。使用定制软件程序确定基底膜下神经平均密度（共聚焦图像[面积 = 0.166平方毫米]内的总神经长度[微米]）、每次共聚焦扫描的平均神经数量以及平均神经走向。使用Pearson相关系数评估年龄与神经密度以及年龄与神经走向之间的相关性。
所有受试者中央角膜均可见基底膜下神经丛。基底膜下神经平均密度为8404±2012微米/毫米（范围4735至14018微米/毫米）。基底膜下神经平均数量为4.6±1.6条神经（范围1至8条神经）。基底膜下神经平均走向为94±16度（范围58至146度）。年龄与基底膜下神经密度之间无相关性（r = 0.21，P = 0.09），年龄与基底膜下神经走向之间也无相关性（r = -0.19，P = 0.12）。
人中央角膜基底膜下神经丛的密度和走向不随年龄变化。
