Coalescence of endothelial cells in the traumatized cornea. III. Correlation between specular and scanning electron microscopy.

Sequential specular microscopy has shown that coalescence of endothelial cells occurs after thawing in cryopreserved rabbit corneas. Scanning electron microscopy of corneas studied in vitro by specular microscopy showed the same large, fused endothelial cells. As observed in the electron micrographs, these cells showed no evidence of the cell borders that had disappeared during the specular microscopic examination. These data support the reliability of our specular microscopic observations and provide additional evidence for the occurrence of fusion or coalescence of corneal endothelial cells.