Specular microscopy of the corneal endothelium after liquid silicone injection into the vitreous in complicated retinal detachments.

Twenty-one patients were followed up for at least 6 months after pars plana vitrectomy and liquid silicone injection into the vitreous for complicated retinal detachment by means of specular microscopy. In 17 eyes without silicone penetration into the anterior chamber, only insignificant changes were observed. In contrast, in 4 eyes, where a large drop of liquid silicone penetrated into the anterior chamber, the cell densities rapidly decreased to critical values and a marked pleomorphism of large endothelial cells with abnormal intracellular details indicated serious damage of the surviving cells. A characteristic structureless reflecting layer with contourlike lines in some areas of the specular image was a newly observed bizarre change that was caused by the replacement of the anterior chamber fluid by liquid silicone with markedly different optical properties.