IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL-STUDY OF THE CORNEA IN CHANDLERS SYNDROME - REPORT OF A CASE

A corneal specimen obtained by surgery in a 55-year-old woman with Cha ndler's syndrome was studied by light and transmission electron micros copy as well as by immunocytochemistry. The pathologic features were a bnormalities of the endothelially derived cells lining the posterior c orneal surface with a fibrous material consisting of collagen fibrils, filaments and banded material similar to that found in the anterior p art of Descemet's membrane observed between the endothelial cell layer and Descemet's membrane. The multilayered endothelial cell layer in o ur case was found to be strongly positive for cytokeratins K7 and KL1 and vimentin and negative for factor-VIII-related antigen, neuron-spec ific enolase, nerve tissue S-100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen, CD 68, actin and desmin. This immnunohistochemical reaction pattern a rgues in favor of an epithelial origin for cells lining the endothelia l cell layer in Chandler's syndrome.