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Abstract
Young rats fed a diet containing excess l-tyrosine develop a reproducible and reliable keratopathy. This keratopathy clears spontaneously, although the initiating dietary stimulus is maintained. In less than 24 hours, edema of the central corneal epithelium develops, first in the basal cells and then in focal full-thickness areas. These areas of epithelial disease enlarge to form fullthickness "snowflake" opacities with cellular separation. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) then infiltrate the anterior stroma. The epithelial opacity enlarges, the epithelium loses its ordered polarity, and the stroma becomes edematous and thickened. PMNL's enter the anterior chamber and cling to the endothelium. After one week of 5 per cent tyrosine diet, the cornea is opaque and several times thicker than normal due to epithelial disorganization and loss and stromal edema. Leukocytes have invaded all layers.