The past, present, and future of clinical specular microscopy.

Since the introduction of specular microscopy into the field of clinical ophthalmology in 1975, many technological and methodological advances have been made. These have for the most part eliminated the previously discussed objections to the use of specular microscopy as a clinical tool. With the advent of new instrumentation, a number of specular microscopes are not available. The advantages and disadvantages of these clinical specular microscopes, current clinical practice with small-field and wide-field specular microscopy, and description of problems and possible future developments of specular microscopy are discussed.