Corneal confocal microscopy in a healthy Brazilian sample

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of the corneal sub-basal plexus by performing in vivo confocal microscopy of healthy Brazilians to provide reference values for the Brazilian population. Method: This study is an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study comparing corneas from 55 healthy Brazilian individuals across the age span of 20-70 years. Results: The average number of fibers was 5.35 ± 1.36, fiber density was 33.4 ± 8.5 fibers per field, and the mean number of Langerhans cells was 5.13 ± 8.10. A correlation between the average number of fibers and age showed an inverse relationship between the number and density of fibers and age for women (p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, each annual increase of age showed an average increase of 1.017 (95%CI: 1.008 to 1.026) in the number of Langerhans cells, adjusting for sex and thickness. Conclusion: Compared to other samples, this Brazilian population showed a higher average number of fibers, though further studies with a larger sample should be performed.