Long-term follow-up of cryopreserved corneal endothelium. A specular microscopic study.

This paper deals with the long-term survival of corneal transplant endothelial cells. Endothelia of 17 cryopreserved corneal transplants were photographed with a specular microscope, first 1.5 years (mean) following transplantation, and again 10 years later. All transplants were absolutely clear. The mean cell loss was 23% in 12 years. After 2 to 14 years post-operatively the cell loss was noticed to be only 13.6% (from 990 +/- 255 cells/mm2 to 855 +/- 213 cells/mm2). It seems that endothelial cells of cryopreserved corneal grafts, although few in number, are still quite resistant and viable after a long follow-up time and survive like endothelial cells after preservation in tissue culture media.