Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose:To investigate whether Ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure produces detectable damage to the corneal endothelium in human subjects. Methods: 20 eyes of 10 patients with UV keratitis presenting to the emergency room between May 2001 and July 2002 were evaluated. Slit lamp exam and specular microscopy were performed on the same day. The cell density (CD) and coefficient of variance (CV) were the primary outcome measures. The patients were matched according to age and sex with a control group. The T-test for independent samples was used to analyze and compare the results. Results: The mean patients' CV and CD were 46.65 and 2611.80, respectively. The mean CV and CD of the control group were 47.75 and 2617.75, repectively. The difference in CD and CV between the patients and the control group was not statistically significant, with p=0.87 and 0.97 for the CV and CD, respectively. Conclusions:No cause/effect relation between UV exposure and endothelial status could be concluded. A larger cohort with a longer follow up period is required to improve the power coefficient of the study.
Keywords: cornea: endothelium