ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between endothelial cell loss rate at one week, one month, three months, and six months after penetrating keratoplasty and clinical factors including recipient age, donor age, preoperative endothelial cell densities of the donors and preoperative diagnoses of the recipients. Among the 70 patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty at Chonbuk University Hospital from December 1996 to January 1999, 30 eyes of 30 patients that showed reasonable endothelial resolution by non-contact specular microscopy during the follow up period of 6 months were chosen and evaluated.The cell density decreased continuously during the observation period. Endothelial cell loss rate averaged 11.5%at one week, 19.0% at one month, 25.0%at three months and 30.0%at six months after penetrating keratoplasty. Endothelial cell loss rate showed no significant correlation with donor age, recipient age, preoperative cell density at any examination period[r+/-0.4, p0.05]. Preoperative endothelial cell density showed significant correlation with postoperative endothelial cell density at each examination period[r0.7, p<0.05]. The rate of endothelial loss in the keratoconus group was significantly lower than those of bullous keratopathy or corneal leukoma groups at three months after penetrating keratoplasty[Wilcoxon test, p<0.05].