The identification of different vascular cells on the corneal endothelium by specular microscopy. II. White blood cells on the corneal endothelium in keratitis.

Examination of the corneal mosaic by the direct mode of specular microscopy and of its posterior surface by the relief mode in three cases of localized keratitis with adjacent clear cornea has enabled us to identify small round white cells. Comparison with the morphology of red blood cells seen in hyphaema indicates that these small round cells are probably lymphocytes since they are fairly uniform in size, spherical but not flattened spheroids and about the same size as or a little larger than red blood cells. These cells are present on the posterior surface of the corneal endothelium but could not be seen infiltrating beneath or between the endothelial cells. They were quite distinct from larger, numerous rounded blebs two to four endothelial cells in diameter lying beneath the endothelium which have previously been described.