UC Davis

Objective

To obtain normative data for the normal laboratory beagle cornea using high-resolution in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).

Animals studied

Sixteen eyes of eight healthy young female intact beagles.

Procedures

The central cornea was imaged using IVCM. Mixed effects linear regression was used for statistical analysis.

Results

in vivo confocal microscopy allowed detailed visualization and quantification of epithelial cells (superficial epithelial cell diameter: 43.25 ± 6.64 μm, basal cell diameter: 4.43 ± 0.67 μm), and nerve fibers (subepithelial nerve fiber diameter: 2.38 ± 0.69 μm, anterior stromal nerve fiber diameter: 16.93 ± 4.55 μm). Keratocyte density (anterior stroma 993.38 ± 134.24 cells/mm(2) , posterior stroma 789.38 ± 87.13 cells/mm(2) ) and endothelial cell density (2815.18 ± 212.59 cells/mm(2) ) were also measured.

Conclusion

High-resolution IVCM provides detailed noninvasive evaluation of the cornea in the normal laboratory beagle.