1PG Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
3Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Background: Myopia is a growing refractive defect that is rapidly becoming widespread in all parts of the world and is usually related to structural and biomechanical changes of the eye. The corneal endothelium is a non-regenerative, essential monolayer with the role of preserving corneal transparency due to its two functions: pumping and barrier. Denser endothelial cells (ECD) are physiologically known to decrease with age, and myopic eyes, especially those that are axially elongated, could have another endothelial susceptibility, which has significant consequences on refractive and intraocular surgeries (Bourne, 2003; Joyce, 2012).
Aim: To assess the density of endothelial cells in the cornea and its change as people age in patients with myopia.
Methods: The 50 patients (100 eyes) participating in the study were myopic patients who were aged 18-50 years and participated in a tertiary eye care center. The sample was divided into three age brackets (18-30 years, 31-40 years and 41-50 years). The parameters of endothelial cells such as endothelial cell density (ECD) and average cell area (ACA) were measured with non-contact specular microscopy. Individuals who had undergone previous ocular surgery, uses contact lens, corneal pathology or systemic diseases that impacted the cornea were excluded. One-way ANOVA and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used to statistically analyze the data and a p value less than 0.05 was regarded as a significant difference.
Results: There was progressive deterioration in the mean endothelial cell density with age. The maximum ECD was found in the 18-30 year group, then the 31-40 years group and the lowest values were recorded in the 41-50 years older patients. They were statistically significantly negatively correlated between age and ECD (p < 0.01), and positively correlated between average cell area and age (p < 0.01), which means that there is compensatory endothelial cell enlargement as age increases.
Conclusion: The density of endothelial cells of the cornea declines with age in myopic patients with a corresponding rise in the average cell area. These results highlight the need of regular preoperative endothelial monitoring in myopic patients, especially the aged of above 40 years as a preventive measure in ensuring that postoperative endothelial decompensation during intraocular and refractive surgery is minimized.
Keywords: Myopia, Corneal Endothelial Cell Density, Specular Microscopy, Aging.
How to cite this article: Oviya A, Jeyaraj G, Divya N. Evaluation of corneal endothelial cell density in myopic patients of different age groups. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(8s): 44-49; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.8s.9
Source of support: None.
Conflict of interest: None