Tuft S J, Coster D J
Department of Clinical Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.
Eye (Lond). 1990;4 ( Pt 3):389-424. doi: 10.1038/eye.1990.53.
The endothelium is a monolayer of cells on the posterior corneal surface that transports water from the stroma into the anterior chamber. This movement of water counters a natural tendency for the stroma to swell and is necessary to maintain a transparent cornea. Embryologic studies, in particular the demonstration of the derivation of the endothelium from the neural crest, have provided insight into the factors that govern the response of this tissue to disease. In some species the endothelium can regenerate after injury, but in man cellular enlargement is the main mechanism of repair after cell loss. A clinical estimate of endothelial cell density and function is provided by specular microscopy, fluorophotometry and pachymetry. In this paper we review the development, structure and function of the corneal endothelium, and then consider the pathological processes that can affect this tissue.
内皮是角膜后表面的一层细胞，它将水从基质输送到前房。这种水的移动抵消了基质肿胀的自然趋势，对于维持透明角膜是必要的。胚胎学研究，特别是内皮起源于神经嵴的证明，为了解控制该组织对疾病反应的因素提供了线索。在某些物种中，内皮在损伤后可以再生，但在人类中，细胞增大是细胞丢失后修复的主要机制。镜面显微镜检查、荧光光度测定法和测厚法可提供内皮细胞密度和功能的临床评估。在本文中，我们回顾了角膜内皮的发育、结构和功能，然后考虑了可能影响该组织的病理过程。
