RESUMO
PURPOSE: To evaluate the change of corneal endothelial cell morphology after phacoemulsification according to the degree of the severity of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative 6 months after phacoemulsification, the specular microscopy was performed on all the subjects. The patients were divided into three groups: Group I (n=30 eyes), non diabetic, Group II (n=30 eyes), diabetes with non proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and Group III (n=30 eyes), diabetes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). RESULTS: Postoperative corneal endothelial cell density and hexagonality significantly decreased, and cell size variation coefficient increased in all groups compared to preoperative stage (P<0.001). At the postoperative 6 months, corneal endothelial cell density was significantly decreased in all groups (P<0.001). Cell size variations were significantly increased in Group III compared to Group I and Group II (P<0.05), but the percentage of hexagonal cell was not significantly decreased in all groups (P=0.082). CONCLUSIONS: Corneal endothelial cell density significantly decreased and cell size variation coefficient significantly increased in diabetic retinopathy patients undergoing phacoemulsification compared to normal. Therefore, it may be necessary to observe for the postoperative corneal complications in the proliferative diabetic retinopathy after phacoemulsification.