Endothelial cells in capsular glaucoma.

The clinical specular microscope has made it possible to study corneal endothelial cells in vivo. In this study we report for the first time cell densities of unilateral glaucoma patients compared to the normotensive control eyes of the same patient. The corneal endothelium of 27 unilateral capsular glaucoma patients was photographed with a clinical specular microscope. The endothelial cell density was lower in the affected eye than in the normotensive fellow eye in 15 cases. In 10 patients the cell density was the same in both eyes. In two cases the glaucoma eye had a higher density than the fellow eye. Comparison of the above groups showed a statistical difference in the number of glaucoma eyes with a lower cell density (15 lower against 2 higher). The endothelial cell density could not be correlated with the duration of treatment or severity of the glaucoma.