Ultrastructure of traumatic corneal endothelial rings.

Traumatic endothelial rings were observed in the cornea obtained from a 4-year-old boy after a fatal gunshot wound to the forehead. Electron microscopy showed the injury to consist of an annular area of endothelial cell loss and disruption with adherent macrophages. Endothelial cell disruption was localized to the circular area where mechanical distortion of endothelium and Descemet's membrane caused by the impact of a projectile would be maximal.