J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2003 Jul;44(7):1607-1612.

Histological Characteristics of the Interface of Corneal Stroma and Descemet's Membrane

• Jang JH
• Park HJ
• Ko MK

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was carried out to clarify the histological characteristics of the interface of the corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane of the human eye. METHODS: Nighteen donor eyes without corneal pathology were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The Descemet's membrane including the corneal endothelium was cheked for scanning electron microscopy. The junctional characteristics of the posterior corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane was examined by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The scanning electron microscopy showed that collagen sheet faced each other at the right angle near the Descemet's membrane and penetrated the Descemet's membrane with the irregular arrangement. The transmission electron microscopy showed that the electron-dense collagen filaments extended to the posterior stroma from Descemet's membrane. The arrangement of electron-dense collagen filaments paralleled with the arrangement of the collagen fibrils of the posterior stroma. CONCLUSIONS: The interface of the corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane was composed of two-typed extracellular materials without the intercellular specificatons.

Keyword

Collagen filaments; Descemet's membrane; Electron microscopy; Stroma

MeSH Terms

Collagen
Corneal Stroma*
Descemet Membrane*
Endothelium, Corneal
Humans
Microscopy, Electron
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Pathology
Tissue Donors
Collagen