PERIPHERAL CORNEAL ENDOTHELIOPATHY AND PARS PLANITIS

A peripheral corneal endotheliopathy (PCE), named autoimmune endotheli opathy was described in association with corneal graft rejection and a s an isolated corneal alteration unrelated to surgery, trauma, or infe ction. It has also been found in patients with pars planitis (PP), but the significance of this association is unknown. The authors retrospe ctively reviewed the clinical charts of 53 PP patients (106 eyes) exam ined at the Uveitis Clinic from 1988 to 1993. Special attention was pa id to the description of corneal clinical findings. PCE was found in 1 8.8% of the eyes, and of these, 70% showed bilateral involvement. The presence of PCE was not related to PP severity, but PCE was more frequ ently seen in younger patients. This descriptive study shows that iden tification of PCE may aid in the diagnosis of childhood PP.