The pathologic findings of epithelial ingrowth.

A case of postcataract epithelial ingrowth that occurred when a chronic fistula was produced after a discussion of a secondary membrane is reported. The ingrowth was examined preoperatively with the specular microscope, and the excised anterior segment was examined with correlative microscopy. The patient recovered 6/18 (20/60) visual acuity after a subsequent penetrating keratoplasty. The characteristics of the epithelial ingrowth consisted of nonkeratinized squamous epithelium with surface microvilli, wide intercellular borders with occasional desmosomes, multiple tonofilaments more prominent in the leading edge of the ingrowth, hemidesmosomes attached to a subepithelial connective tissue layer, and uneven sizes and shapes of epithelial cells. These findings suggested that the source of the ingrowth was from the conjunctival epithelium. We found the leading edge of the ingrowth as well as the type of damage inflicted to the underlying endothelium.