RESEARCH ARTICLE


Corneal Microstructural Analysis in Weill-Marchesani Syndrome by In Vivo Confocal Microscopy



Anna M Roszkowska, Pasquale Aragona*
Ophthalmology Section, Department of Surgical Specialties, University of Messina, Italy


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Creative Commons License
© Roszkowska and Aragona; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Surgical Specialties, Section of Ophthalmology, University of Messina, Policlinico Universitario, I-98125, Messina, Italy; Tel: +39-90-2212972; Fax: +39-90-692449; E-mail: paragona@unime.it


Abstract

A thick cornea is a constant ocular finding in the mesodermal dysmorphodystrophy (Weill-Marchesani Syndrome). In this study we investigated with confocal microscopy, the corneal structure in vivo in the patient affected by Weill-Marchesani Syndrome (WMS) in an attempt to explain the thickness increment. The corneal study showed in both eyes a highly increased central thickness with normal topography and sensitivity. The confocal examination revealed an increased evidence of keratocytes in the anterior stroma with abnormal and activated appearance. The mid and deep stroma and endothelial layer were normal. These confocal findings are a newly described feature of corneal involvement in WMS. The increase of the corneal thickness in the affected patient maybe associated with connective tissue alterations, such as abnormal collagen synthesis, that characterizes the disease.

Keywords: Weill- Marchesani syndrome, cornea, keratocytes, in vivo confocal microscopy.