Changes in central corneal thickness of preserved corneas over time measured using anterior segment optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To measure central corneal thickness (CCT) and investigate serial changes in CCT, using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) on corneas in storage medium.
METHODS: Between July and August 2006, 10 human corneoscleral discs from 5 donors between 19 and 57 years of age were obtained. Corneoscleral rims were excised and were transferred to Optisol-GS (Bausch & Lomb, Irvine, CA). After preservation, AS-OCT (Visante OCT; Carl Zeiss Meditec) was performed on all corneoscleral discs to detect serial changes in CCT. The corneas were measured with AS-OCT at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 hours and then at 1, 2, 3, and 4 days after preservation.
RESULTS: The mean of the baseline CCT measurements obtained with the ultrasound pachymeter was 632.7 microm. The average CCT on AS-OCT decreased to 534 microm in the first day of preservation. As time proceeded, the CCT of each cornea generally decreased. CCT decreased significantly between 30 minutes and 1 hour after preservation (P = 0.004). Also, CCT changes in the interval from preservation to 30 minutes showed a greater decline than during other intervals. Therefore, the most significant change in CCT occurred in the first hour after preservation.
CONCLUSION: AS-OCT offers a fast easy method for evaluating human donor corneas for corneal thickness and structural changes without the risk of bacterial contamination or mechanical damage.