Corneal dystrophies. II. Endothelial dystrophies.

In general, endothelial dystrophies present three types of clinical manifestations: 1) production of collagenous tissue posterior to Descemet's membrane which appears as cornea guttata, polymorphic excrescences or gray sheets; 2) a disrupted endothelial mosaic in specular reflection; and 3) corneal edema as a reflection of decreased endothelial barrier and pump functions. In this review, the authors discuss three endothelial dystrophies -- Fuchs', posterior polymorphous and congenital hereditary. They describe the clinical, histopathologic and biochemical features, and illustrate each dystrophy with a composite drawing. Dystrophies of the epithelium, Bowman's layer, and stroma were reviewed separately in the September-October 1978 issue of this journal.