[Objective indices of corneal transparency and of fluorescein permeability through the cornea before and after photorefractive keratectomy].

Video images of the cornea in photorefraction keratectomy (PFK) are analyzed by computer-aided microdensitometric analysis of televideo images of the eye. Optic density of various layers of the cornea and fluorescein penetration through the cornea were assessed in patients with myopia (235 eyes) and hypermetropia (65 eyes) before the after PFK. PFK was carried out by Nidek excimer laser (Japan). Analysis was carried out with consideration for the degree of emmetropia and patients' ages. Corneal transparency and index of fluorescein penetration through the cornea correlated with patient's age and emmetropia. Computer-aided microdensitometric analysis of televideo images of the eye earlier detects changes in the cornea than routine methods. The authors discuss the probability of assessing corneal transparency for selection of patients for PFK.