Evaluation of endothelial/Descemet membrane complex of eye bank donor corneas using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography

• Published in: Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) Vol. 13; pp. 789 - 794
• Main Authors: Syed, Zeba A, Gameiro, Gustavo Rosa, Ruggeri, Marco, Elsawy, Amr, Sayed-Ahmed, Ibrahim, Roongpoovapatr, Vatookarn, Abdel-Mottaleb, Mohamed, Abou Shousha, Mohamed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.05.2019; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Containers; corneal graft screening; Corneal transplant; Endothelium; Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy; High definition television; microscope-integrated OCT; Novels; Original Research; Technology; Tomography; Florida; Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy; corneal graft screening; microscope-integrated OCT; corneal transplant
• ISSN: 1177-5483; 1177-5467; 1177-5483
• DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S185455

We present a novel method for screening eye bank donor corneas using high definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT). This technology allows for the quantification of endothelial/Descemet membrane (En/DM) complex thickness ex vivo. Prospective interventional study. Fifty-two corneal grafts from 27 donors were included in this study. Twenty additional control eyes and 11 eyes with Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy were also evaluated for comparison. A custom built, high speed HD-OCT device (Envisu R2210, Bioptigen, Buffalo Grove, IL, USA) was used to obtain images, and custom-made graph-based segmentation software was used to automatically deconstruct corneal images into micro-layers. HD-OCT imaging was used to scan through the sealed sterile case of donor corneas stored in McCarey-Kaufman medium to image their En/DM complex through the center of the cornea. This technology allowed for quantification of En/DM complex thickness in all donor corneas through the sealed sterile container used to transport graft tissue. Mean En/DM complex thickness of donor corneas was 17±4 μm. The difference between donor cornea En/DM thickness and that of control subjects (16±2 μm) was not statistically significant ( =0.3), suggesting that the transport container and media do not affect measurements. There was a significant difference between En/DM thickness of Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy eyes (25±5 μm) and both donor corneas ( <0.0001) and control subjects ( <0.0001). We have described a new technique to measure En/DM complex thickness in eye bank donor corneas stored in a sealed sterile case. This may represent a novel adjunctive approach to screen corneal grafts for early endothelial disease.