Cases Journal


Open Access Case Report

In vivo confocal microscopy of an apparent deep stroma corneal dystrophy: a case report

Michele Lanza1,2, Maria Borrelli2, Enrico Benusiglio2 and Nicola Rosa1,2*

Author Affiliations

1 Department of Ophthalmology, Second University of Naples Via Pansini 5, Naples 80100 Italy

2 Centro Grandi Apparecchiature, Second University of Naples, Sezione di Ricerca Clinica in Oftalmologia, Via De Crecchio, 16 Naples, 80100 Italy

For all author emails, please log on.

Cases Journal 2009, 2:9317 doi:10.1186/1757-1626-2-9317

Published: 14 December 2009

Abstract

A 41-year-old white woman was referred to our Department to rule out the presence of a Fuch's corneal dystrophy. On slit-lamp biomicroscopy, small bilateral punctuate opacities appearing mostly in the posterior stroma were observed, suggesting a differential diagnosis of pre-Descemet's dystrophy as opposed to Cornea Farinata.

Confocal microscopy in the central cornea of both eyes revealed the normal appearance of superficial and basal epithelial layers. However throughout the full thickness of the cornea fine highly refractive granules, localized both in the keratocytes cytoplasm and in the stroma matrix were noted. In both eyes abnormal polymegatism and pleomorphism was observed.