AUTHOR=Gu Shao-Feng , Gao Shuang , Wang Hai-Kun , He Lin-Hui , Peng Rong-Mei , Xiao Ge-Ge , Hong Jing 

TITLE=Three-dimensional in vivo evaluation of the cornea in patients with unilateral posterior interstitial keratitis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1180208

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2023.1180208

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Purpose</title><p>The purpose of this study was to investigate the <italic>in vivo</italic> morphologic features of the cornea in patients with unilateral posterior interstitial keratitis.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>Seven eyes of 7 patients with unilateral posterior interstitial keratitis were examined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), and <italic>in vivo</italic> confocal microscopy (IVCM). The imaging features of the cornea were evaluated and analyzed.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>By slit-lamp examination, the posterior corneal stromal opacities were observed in all 7 eyes, and deep neovascularization in 4 eyes. The posterior stromal opacities showed higher reflectivity with an intact overlying epithelium by AS-OCT and did not invade the Bowman’s layer in all cases. IVCM revealed highly reflective dispersed microdots, needle-shaped bodies, and increased reflectivity of keratocytes in the lesion site in all patients. Active Langerhans cells and an attenuated subbasal nerve plexus were observed in 5 eyes. After treatment, the active Langerhans cells disappeared; however, highly reflective microdots and needle-shaped bodies remained.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>The three-dimensional evaluation of slit-lamp biomicroscopy, AS-OCT, and IVCM may help in the early diagnosis of patients with posterior interstitial keratitis.</p></sec>