On the significance of a low endothelial cell density in Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy. A specular microscopic study.

In order to verify a low endothelial cell density is a primary event in Fuch's endothelial dystrophy, a specular microscopic examination was attempted in 20 patients with Fuchs' dystrophy. Most of these patients had previously undergone cataract extraction. In five patients only, was it possible in places to observe endothelial cellular outline to such an extent that the cell density could be estimated. The resulting estimates ranged from 715 to 2380 cells/mm2 and were not, as a group, found to be lower than in a control group of aphakic subjects. This finding is evidence against the view that Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy is a low cell density syndrome.