Department of Ophthalmology, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
Ophthalmology Unit, S.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Br J Ophthalmol. 2021 Feb;105(2):174-179. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-315449. Epub 2020 Apr 3.
To evaluate bilateral morphometric changes of corneal sub-basal nerve plexus (CSNP) occurring after unilateral cataract surgery by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) images analysed with automated software.
IVCM was performed before (V0) and 1 month after surgery (V1) in both operated eyes (OEs) and unoperated eyes (UEs) of 30 patients. Thirty age and sex-matched subjects acted as controls. Corneal nerve fibre density (CNFD), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD), corneal nerve fibre length (CNFL), corneal nerve total branch density (CTBD), corneal nerve fibre area (CNFA), corneal nerve fibre width, corneal nerve fractal dimension (CNFrD) and dendritic cells density were calculated.
Mean CNFD, CNBD, CNFL, CTBD, CNFA and CNFrD significantly decreased at V1 versus V0 in both eyes (respectively, 15.35±7.00 vs 21.21±6.56 n/mm in OEs and 20.11±6.69 vs 23.20±7.26 in UEs; 13.57±12.16 vs 26.79±16.91 n/mm in OEs and 24.28±14.88 vs 29.76±15.25 in UEs; 9.67±3.44 mm/mm vs 13.49±3.42 in OEs and 12.53±3.60 vs 14.02±3.82 in UEs; 22.81±18.77 vs 42.25±24.64 n/mm in OEs and 38.06±20.52 vs 43.93±22.27 in UEs; 0.0040±0.0021 vs 0.0058±0.0020 mm/mm in OEs and 0.0049±0.0016 vs 0.0057±0.0019 in UEs; 1.418±0.058 vs 1.470±0.037 in OEs and 1.466±0.040 vs 1.477±0.036 in UEs; always p<0.049).
Patients undergoing cataract surgery exhibit bilateral alterations of CSNP. This finding could have broad implications in the setting of sequential cataract surgery.
通过自动软件分析活体共聚焦显微镜（IVCM）图像，评估单侧白内障手术后角膜基底部神经丛（CSNP）的双侧形态变化。
30 例患者的手术眼（OE）和未手术眼（UE）分别于术前（V0）和术后 1 个月（V1）进行 IVCM 检查。30 名年龄和性别匹配的受试者作为对照。计算角膜神经纤维密度（CNFD）、角膜神经分支密度（CNBD）、角膜神经纤维长度（CNFL）、角膜总神经分支密度（CTBD）、角膜神经纤维面积（CNFA）、角膜神经纤维宽度、角膜神经分形维数（CNFrD）和树突状细胞密度。
与 V0 相比，OE 和 UE 在 V1 时的平均 CNFD、CNBD、CNFL、CTBD、CNFA 和 CNFrD 均显著降低（分别为 15.35±7.00 对 21.21±6.56 n/mm 和 20.11±6.69 对 23.20±7.26 n/mm；13.57±12.16 对 26.79±16.91 n/mm 和 24.28±14.88 对 29.76±15.25 n/mm；9.67±3.44 mm/mm 对 13.49±3.42 mm/mm 和 12.53±3.60 对 14.02±3.82 mm/mm；22.81±18.77 对 42.25±24.64 n/mm 和 38.06±20.52 对 43.93±22.27 n/mm；0.0040±0.0021 对 0.0058±0.0020 mm/mm 和 0.0049±0.0016 对 0.0057±0.0019 mm/mm；1.418±0.058 对 1.470±0.037 对 1.466±0.040 对 1.477±0.036 对 1.477±0.036）。OE 和 UE 总是 p<0.049）。
接受白内障手术的患者表现出双侧 CSNP 改变。这一发现可能对连续白内障手术具有广泛的意义。
