gms | German Medical Science

Purpose: To quantify the corneal densitometry by using the Pentacam Scheimpflug corneal tomography (Pentacam HR, Oculus GmbH, Germany) in patients before and after Descemet Membran Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK).

Methods: In this study we retrospectively reviewed the charts and anterior segment data of patients with Fuchs Endothelial Dystrophy before and after DMEK. Patients were examined using a Scheimpflug-based Oculus Pentacam Corneal densitometry module. The densitometry module enables a standardized corneal densitometry analysis. It measures corneal backscattered light over a 12-mm-diameter area and in different corneal layers.

Results: 18 eyes of 18 Patients after DMEK were included. the Total corneal light backscatter at total Corneal Thickness and total diameter prior to DMEK was significantly higher than after DMEK (before: 30.3 ± 8.7, after: 24.0 ± 5.6, p<0.001). Corneal densitometry at total diameter (TD) after DMEK in the anterior layer (AL), posterior layer (PL) and at total Thickness were significantly lower than before (AL: p<0.001, PL: p = 0.008, TD: p<0.001). The total corneal light backscatter at total corneal thickness and at total diameter after DMEK correlate with the pre-operative value (p <0.001).

Conclusions: Corneal densitometry is an objective method to quantify the outcome and evaluate the optical quality in different corneal layers after DMEK. It also allows the surgeon to make a prognostic statement of the transplant outcome based on the preoperative corneal densitometry. Our data show the necessity of an early evaluation and indication for DMEK to guarantee the best possible visual DMEK outcome.