Abstract
Purpose :
To examine how medical and ocular history known at the time of death and from interviews with the surviving family members can predict corneal health and appropriateness for transplantation.
Methods :
This is a retrospective cohort study of potential cornea donors from 8/1/07 through 7/31/15 from the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research, Tampa, FL. Primary outcome variable was endothelial cell counts less than 2,500 cells/mm2 and cell counts less than 2,200 cells/mm2 was a secondary outcome variable. Donors without agreement among both eyes with respect to endothelial cell counts were excluded from the analysis. Potential risk factors evaluated included age, gender, race, COPD, renal insufficiency, high LDL, hypertension, DM, glaucoma, glaucoma surgery, and phakic status following cataract surgery. Logistic regression analyses were run for the proposed outcomes. Significant odds ratios (p < 0.05) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to estimate relative risk.
Results :
A total of 18,536 cornea donors were evaluated and 15,732 donors were included in the primary analysis. Age, race, COPD, renal insufficiency, and cataract surgery with IOL were significantly associated with donor cornea endothelial cell counts <2,500 cells/mm2 (Table 1). Age, gender, race, hypertension, DM, and cataract surgery with IOL were associated with endothelial cell counts <2,200 cells/mm2 (Table 2).
Conclusions :
Age and a past history of cataract surgery with IOL implant had the strongest association with reduced endothelial cell count. Diabetes, which is highly prevalent in the US population, was associated with an endothelial cell count below 2,200 cells/mm2. These data may be helpful for eye banks to better screen potential donors, thus reducing expenses for the eye banks.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.