Corneal edema as a result of ischemic endothelial damage: a case report.

In a 79-year-old woman with temporal arteritis, an attack of corneal edema coincided with an ischemic attack of the anterior eye segment. Specular microscopy 17 months after the acute attack demonstrated a 72% endothelial cell loss on the side with previous edema as compared to the other side without corneal involvement. The development of endothelial damage is assumed to be caused by ischemia of the endothelial cells during the acute phase, which, in turn, caused the corneal edema.