The corneal endothelial cells in ocular hypertension.

In order to evaluate the effect of the intraocular pressure (IOP) on the corneal endothelial cells, we investigated the endothelial cells of 37 untreated ocular hypertensive patients (72 eyes) and 40 normotensive individuals (65 eyes) by means of the contact type specular microscope, both groups being in the similar age range. The IOP was measured with a Goldmann applanation tonometer and the corneal thickness was determined with a pachymeter of Haag-Streit modified by Mishima & Hedbys. Endothelial photographs were taken in the central area of the cornea and the individual cell area was computed using a computerized image analyzer. The correlation among the IOP, the corneal thickness and the corneal endothelial cell size was analyzed. The mean cell size of corneal endothelial cells failed to be significantly correlated with either the IOP or the corneal thickness and did not show a significant difference between the right and left eyes in ocular hypertensive patients. The mean cell size of central corneal endothelial cells in ocular hypertensives was noted to be larger than that of the normotensives in each age group. The difference was of statistical significance in the subjects younger than 49 years old, and the mean difference in the cell size was the greatest in the patient group younger than 30 years old.