HEALING VELOCITY OF CORNEAL EPITHELIUM EVALUATED BY COMPUTER

To objectively determine the area of corneal abrasion, a video camera was connected to a slit-lamp. The videosignal was digitized and analyz ed by a computer program. The maximal horizontal and vertical diameter s were measured as well as the total abraded area. The algorithms of c alculating healing velocity of corneal epithelium are discussed, and t his system was tested on patients treated for myopia with a 193 nm ArF excimer laser. It was shown that topical steroid application did not impair corneal epithelial healing velocity.