CHARACTERIZATION OF FIBROUS RETROCORNEAL MEMBRANE BY CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY

Purpose. To study the appearance of a fibrous retrocorneal membrane as seen by confocal microscopy. Methods. A 67-year-old white woman with a history of multiple ocular surgeries, including repeated penetrating keratoplasties for aphakic bullous keratopathy, developed a retrocorn eal membrane in the right eye. The membrane was first noticed 3 years after the last corneal transplant and remained stable subsequently. Th e patient was examined by in vivo white light tandem-scanning confocal microscopy. Results, At the level of the retrocorneal membrane, confo cal microscopy disclosed the presence of a hyperreflective fibrous-app earing layer. Normal endothelial cells could not be found. Anterior to the hyperreflective layer, activated keratocytes were identified. Con clusion. Confocal microscopy may allow noninvasive diagnosis of fibrou s retrocorneal membrane. Additionally, our data suggest that the poste rior keratocytes might play a role in the production and deposition of fibrous tissue.