What is specular microscopy used for?
Specular microscopy is a noninvasive diagnostic tool that allows for in vivo evaluation of corneal endothelium in health and various diseased states. Endothelial imaging helps in the diagnosis and management of several endothelial disorders.
What is a pachymetry eye test?
A pachymetry test is a simple, quick, painless test to measure the thickness of your cornea. With this measurement, your doctor can better understand your IOP reading, and develop a treatment plan that is right for your condition. The procedure takes only about a minute to measure both eyes.
What does a corneal Pachymetry determine?
Corneal pachymetry is the process of measuring the thickness of the cornea. A pachymeter is a medical device used to measure the thickness of the eye’s cornea.
What is a normal pachymetry?
Normal corneal thickness is about 540 microns (half of a millimeter). Thickness is checked with a handheld ultrasound device called a pachymeter.
What does specular microscopy measure?
Specular microscopy is a noninvasive imaging technique that produces high-magnification images of the corneal endothelium. These images can be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively (using automated software) to help diagnose pathology, accurately monitor endothelial disease and aid in surgical comanagement.
What is CV in specular microscopy?
CV represents the coefficient, or degree, of variation in the sizes of the endothelial cells (polymegethism). By measuring the variation in size between endothelial cells, the system can measure how much cell loss is occurring. A CV less than 40 is normal.
How is pachymetry performed?
Pachymetry. Pachymetry is a simple, painless test to measure the thickness of your cornea — the clear window at the front of the eye. A probe called a pachymeter is gently placed on the front of the eye (the cornea) to measure its thickness. The procedure takes only about a minute to measure both eyes.
What is pachymetry principle?
SPECULAR PACHYMETRY ▪ This is the oldest method to measure corneal thickness. ▪ Principle-This measures the distance between the anterior and the posterior surfaces of cornea and depends on the focusing of light rays through front back cornea unlike sound waves in ultrasound pachymeter.
How is Pachymetry performed?
What is Pachymetry principle?
What is central corneal thickness?
Central corneal thickness (CCT) is an important parameter in the assessment of any potential glaucoma patient. While it affects prognosis in ocular hypertension, its value in patients diagnosed with glaucoma is less certain.
How does a specular microscope work?
Using computer-assisted morphometry, modern specular microscopes analyze the size, shape and population of the endothelial cells. The instrument projects light onto the cornea and captures the image that is reflected from the optical interface between the corneal endothelium and the aqueous humor.
How is specular microscopy used in the clinic?
Specular microscopy is a diagnostic modality for imaging the corneal endothelium that allows for direct observation of the endothelial cell morphological characteristics either in a clinic or eye bank setting.
How are endothelial cell density and pachymetry measured?
Corneal endothelial cell density and pachymetry measured by contact and noncontact specular microscopy To determine endothelial cell density, contact and noncontact specular microscopy may be used interchangeably.
When to use a specular microscope for endothelial imaging?
Endothelial imaging using a specular microscope is routinely used in the assessment of endothelial health in various endothelial diseases, evaluation of the donor cornea prior to keratoplasty and postoperative follow-up after keratoplasty.
What are the benefits of specular microscopy for cataract surgery?
One frequently-touted benefit of the new “femto-phaco” cataract surgery is its potential to be less traumatic to the endothelium by reducing the phaco energy used during the procedure; prescreening with specular microscopy could identify patients better suited to this approach than conventional cataract surgery.