[Morphometry of the endothelium using automated television image analysis].

Report on the use of a new image processing system (IPS) for automated morphometry of the corneal endothelium. The method is demonstrated with endothelial photographs taken with the aid of a Keeler-Konan wide angle specular microscope. The original picture is enlarged ten times, then digitized, detected, and analyzed. Areas containing 100-250 endothelial cells can be evaluated automatically. Depending on the quality of the photographs, larger areas sometimes require interaction by the investigator. The evaluation of a 621-cell picture is demonstrated step by step. The time saving which the method offers and its objectivity are discussed, as well as its use in combination with different specular microscopes.