Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
Prog Retin Eye Res. 2010 Jan;29(1):30-58. doi: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2009.11.001. Epub 2009 Nov 26.
Confocal microscopy enables microstructural analysis of the in vivo cornea, allowing fresh insight into corneal microstructure in health, and in inherited and acquired corneal disease. This method of corneal examination is evolving in an exponential fashion, with rapid advances in technology being mirrored by rapid growth in both research and clinical applications. Whilst initially the evidence base for in vivo confocal microscopy consisted largely of small case studies, in recent years there has been a trend towards collecting quantitative data in an effort to better delineate between heath and disease. Confocal microscopy has been utilised clinically to aid in the diagnosis of infectious keratitis, in particular Acanthamoeba and fungal keratitis, and has also established a role in the diagnosis and phenotyping of corneal dystrophies. This article reviews in vivo confocal microscopy of the human cornea in health and disease and examines clinical and research applications of this new technology.
共聚焦显微镜使活体角膜的微观结构分析成为可能，使人们对健康角膜以及遗传性和获得性角膜疾病的角膜微观结构有了新的认识。这种角膜检查方法正在呈指数级发展，技术的快速进步反映在研究和临床应用的快速增长上。虽然最初活体共聚焦显微镜的证据基础主要是小型病例研究，但近年来，人们越来越倾向于收集定量数据，以更好地区分健康和疾病。共聚焦显微镜已在临床上用于辅助诊断感染性角膜炎，特别是棘阿米巴和真菌性角膜炎，并且在角膜营养不良的诊断和表型分析中也确立了其作用。本文综述了健康和疾病状态下人眼活体共聚焦显微镜的研究进展，并探讨了这项新技术的临床和研究应用。
