Corneal graft endothelial cell densities after preservation in M-K, K-sol and MEM tissue culture media. A clinical and specular microscopic study.

Abstract

The endothelial cell densities of corneal transplants of 30 keratoconus patients have been studied. All operations were performed by the senior author using the same technique. Preservation systems M-K medium, MEM-solution and K-sol were used; ten grafts in each group. The average endothelial cell density for all 30 transplants was 1815 +/- 869 cells/mm2. The mean cell density was the lowest (1128 +/- 587 cells/mm2) and the mean follow-up time longest (2 years and 9 months) in M-K medium stored grafts. K-sol is the newest preservation method used in our hospital. It gave the best graft endothelial cell densities (2302 +/- 938 cells/mm2). The mean follow-up time was shortest in K-sol (8 months). The mean endothelial cell density for grafts from MEM-solution was 2015 +/- 614 cells/mm2) with the mean follow-up time of 1 year, 4 months.