Purpose. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the distribution and
morphology of corneal nerves as seen by means of white light confocal micro
scopy. Methods. This study analyzed images of corneal nerves that were obta
ined using the Tomey Confoscan slit scanning confocal microscope (40x/0.75
objective lens). The images were classified according to their location wit
hin the cornea. The objective and subjective evaluation of the images invol
ved measuring, grading, or judging a number of parameters from both individ
ual pictures and from each single nerve fiber within any image. Results. Th
e in vivo observations made in this work are in agreement with those of pre
vious histologic studies. The general scheme of corneal innervation is desc
ribed as originating from thick and straight stromal nerve trunks that exte
nd lateral and anteriorly and give rise to plexiform arrangements of progre
ssively thinner nerve fibers at several levels within the stroma. From ther
e. nerve fibers perforate Bowman's layer and eventually form a dense neural
plexus just beneath the basal epithelial cell layer, which is characterize
d by tortuous and thin beaded nerve fibers interconnected by numerous nerve
elements; nerve fibers from this plexus are known to be responsible for th
e innervation of the epithelium. Conclusion. This study provides convincing
evidence of the suitability of confocal microscopy to image corneal nerves
, the only; drawback being the limited resolution in terms of the different
iation of the ultrastructure of nerve bundles.