Evaluation of Corneal Oedema – Tools we Have and Those Under Investigation
Abstract:
Overview
Corneal oedema is a common sign of acute or chronic corneal disease resulting from various aetiologies such as corneal endothelial dystrophy, prior surgery such as cataract surgery, metabolic disorders, toxicity or hypoxia. Measurement of central corneal thickness (CCT) is an objective and surrogate assessment for the evaluation of corneal oedema. The commonly used tools for the CCT measurements include ultrasonic pachymetry, anterior segment optical coherence tomography, specular microscopy and corneal tomography. Terahertz and mid-infrared technology have emerged recently for their applications on corneas. Instead of measuring CCT, they detect the changes of corneal water concentrations because their light wave spectrum is sensitive to water. The utility of these imaging systems as an adjuvant tool for the evaluation of corneal oedema, will be discussed in this article.
Keywords
Corneal edema, corneal disease, corneal endothelial dystrophy, central corneal thickness, CCT, Terahertz, mid-infrared technology
Article:
Article Information:
Disclosure
Yu-Chi Liu, Lin Ke and Jodhbir S Mehta have nothing to disclose in relation to this article.
Review Process
Double-blind peer review.
Authorship
All named authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship of this manuscript, take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, and have given final approval to the version to be published.
Correspondence
Yu-Chi Liu, 20 College Road, Discovery Tower, Level 12, Singapore 169856. E: liuchiy@gmail.com
Support
No funding was received in
the publication of this article.
Acknowledgements
All named authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria for authorship of this manuscript, take responsibility for the integrity of the work as a whole, and have given final approval to the version to be published.
Received
25 October 2019