The Effect of Fluorosecein on Corneal Endothelial Structure and Morphology in Diabetic Retinopathy Patients undergone Fundus Fluoresecein Angiography

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate fluorescein effect on the corneal endothelium by endothelial specular microscopy in diabetic retinopathy patients undergone fundus fluoresecein anjiography (FFA). METHODS: One hundred thirthy four diabetic retinopathy patients undergone FFA aged between 42 and 74 years were included study. We checked the corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation of cell area (CV/polymegethism) and percentage of hexagonal cells (6A/pleomorphysm) before FFA and 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week after the procedure. RESULTS: The mean baseline ECD was 2223±216 cells/mm(2). The mean ECD before and 1 hour (2234±224 cells/mm(2)), 1 day (2237±231 cells/mm(2)), 1 week (2226±219 cells/mm(2)) after the procedure weren’t significantly different (p=0.243; repeated measure ANOVA). The mean of the coefficient variations of the endothelial cell size before and 1 hour,1 day, 1 week after the procedure were 0.327±0.07, 0.319±0.06, 0.322±0.06, 0.325±0.07 respectively (p=0.281; repeated measure ANOVA). The mean of the baseline percent of hexagonal cells (pleomorphism) in the endothelium was 61.7±5.2, and the postoperative 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week percent were 62.3±5.7, 61.9±6.1, 61.3±5.9, respectively (p= 0.317; repeated measure ANOVA). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that fluorescein has no toxic effect on corneal endothelium.