What does specular microscopy measure?

What does specular microscopy measure?

Specular microscopy is the study of corneal layers under very high magnification (100 times greater than slit lamp biomicroscopy). It is mainly used to assess the endothelium, which can be analyzed for cellular size, shape, density and distribution.

What are the features of Fuchs dystrophy seen on specular microscopy?

Evaluation of the endothelium by specular microscopy can demonstrate classic changes of Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy, including guttatta, variation in cell size and shape, and low cell count per unit area.

How do you calculate endothelial cell count?

We make the following recommendations: Count cells in a rectangle used for routine clinical measurement. use a cell sizer for rough estimation, as in an eyebank setting. Use a computerized digitizer to study individual endothelial cell size.

What is specular testing?

Specular microscopy is a noninvasive imaging technique that produces high-magnification images of the corneal endothelium. These images can be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively (using automated software) to help diagnose pathology, accurately monitor endothelial disease and aid in surgical comanagement.

Why is specular count done?

Specular Microscopy in Eye Banks Specular microscopy of donor corneas is a standard practice in the evaluation of donor corneas and assessing the suitability for various types of keratoplasty. Standard eye bank specular microscopy allows evaluation of magnified view of central endothelial cells.

What is 6A in specular microscopy?

HEX or 6A: Represents the number of cells that have a hexagonal shape. Pleomorphism is the decrease of hexagonal cells within the corneal endothelium. As pleomorphism increases, the barrier function of the corneal endothelium decreases. A HEX or 6A less than 50% is considered abnormal.

Is Fuchs dystrophy a disability?

In Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), progressive corneal endothelial dysfunction and subsequent chronic edematous changes result in characteristic visual disability.

What is specular microscopy?

What is Specular Microscopy? Experienced eye care doctors use specular microscopy to study a patient’s corneal endothelium. The non-invasive technique is used to evaluate the health of the corneal endothelium or inspect any damage that may have been caused to it by disease, surgery or injury.

How is the specular microscope used to diagnose corneal diseases?

From this, the specular microscope generates various indices that aid in the diagnosis and management of corneal disease. The cell density (CD), coefficient of variation (CV), variability in hexagonal shape (HEX) and central corneal thickness (CCT) are the most important indices when evaluating for endotheliopathies.

What does the endothelium look like on specular microscope?

With specular microscopy, the corneal endothelium appears as a somewhat-regular array of cellsthe endothelial mosaic. In this mosaic configuration, all of the endothelial cells appear to be approximately the same size and shape. 5 Stability of the endothelial mosaic. In a normal endothelium, more than 60% of the endothelial cells are six-sided.

Is non-contact specular microscopy right for your practice?

Take a closer look at the clinical and financial benefits that non-contact specular microscopy could offer your practice. Many dystrophies can affect the endothelial cell layer of the cornea.