Quantitative evaluation of corneal epithelial edema after cataract surgery using corneal densitometry: a prospective study

PURPOSE: The optical density of the cornea can be evaluated quantitatively by “densitometry” using a rotating Scheimpflug camera. Densitometry allows evaluation of corneal opacity in the anterior segment of the eye by quantitative measurement of scattering light. In the present investigation, we evaluate quantitatively minimal subclinical corneal edema after cataract surgery using densitometry. METHODS: Fifty four eyes of 34 patients who underwent cataract surgery were enrolled. Measurement of corneal density was performed using Pentacam® before and on days 1, 3 and 7 after surgery. RESULTS: Densitometry scores increased from 18.12 ± 1.76 before cataract surgery to 21.03 ± 3.84 on day 1 (P < 0.001) and 19.90 ± 2.46 on day 3 (P = 0.018), but recovered to 19.44 ± 1.58 on day 7 (P = 0.131). Total corneal thickness was 549.1 ± 32.7 μm before surgery and increased to 582.7 ± 46.3 μm on day 1 (P = 0.001), but recovered to 566.4 ± 29.7 μm on day 3 (P = 0.097). Densitometry reading correlated positively with corneal thickness (correlation coefficient = 0.13, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Densitometry is useful to detect corneal edema that is not detectable by slit-lamp examination. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12886-018-0998-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.