Clinical examination of the crystalline lens by retrocorneal specular microscopy.

Normal crystalline lenses and a variety of primary and secondary cataracts were photographed with a contact clinical specular microscope having a new W10X long working distance objective. In the normal lens, the anterior and posterior cell pattern and the lens fiber pattern could be seen. In patients with developing cataracts, a variety of abnormal structures was observed; in some cases the detailed morphologic structure of the light scattering objects could be appreciated. In pseudophakic patients, precipitates, leukocytes, and debris were observed on the surface of IOL implants. The methods described enable cellular and morphologic changes occurring with time in the lens and capsule to be studied. The results obtained show the potential usefulness of specular microscopy for evaluation and documentation of retrocorneal pathologic structures at high magnification.