EVALUATION OF THE IMAGES OF SPECULAR MICROSCOPY OF THE CELLS ON IMPLANTED INTRAOCULAR LENSES INVIVO

Specular microscopy, an optical method to study the anterior segment of the eye, was applied to observe the cells on implanted intraocular lenses in vivo. The images from specular microscopy were evaluated by comparing the morphology of the same cells on intraocular lenses implanted in rabbit eyes by specular microscopy, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The time lapse study in living human eyes and the optical evaluation of its interference images were performed to elucidate its image formation. The same giant cells, as observed in vivo by specular microscopy, proved to be multinucleated cells. It was demonstrated that, although the lamella of the cells contributed to specular microscopic images, filamentous extensions were not visible. The complex images of concentric fringes and uniform gray areas on giant cells recognized by specular microscopy were interpreted to be generated by interference phenomena originating from both the cell cytoplasm and the separation between the cell and the intraocular lens, respectively. In addition, shadow-cast images of small round cells and fibroblast-like cells were noted. The application of specular microscopy as a form of interference reflection microscopy was used to study the cell-intraocular lens interaction in living human eyes.