Variations in human corneal endothelial cell morphology and permeability to fluorescein with age.

Fluorophotometry with topically applied fluorescein and endothelial cell photography were performed on 80 normal subjects (age 5-79 yr). Variations in endothelial cell morphology and function, flow of aqueous humor, and intraocular pressure were recorded. The mean endothelial cell size was 332.3 +/- 46.3 micron 2. A 28% increase in endothelial cell size was measured over the eight decades (r = 0.53, P less than 0.001). The coefficient of variation of cell size also increased with age (r = 0.41, P less than 0.001). The percentage of hexagonal endothelial cells decreased by 14% (r = -0.48, P less than 0.001), while the percentage of pentagonal and heptagonal cells increased by 50% (r = 0.44, P less than 0.001) and 40% (r = 0.33, P less than 0.002), respectively, with age. The mean endothelial permeability to fluorescein was 4.03 +/- 0.63 x 10(-4) cm min-1. A 23% increase in endothelial permeability with age was observed (r = 0.44, P less than 0.001). No change in central corneal thickness or endothelial pump rate was found. Flow of aqueous humor remained stable with age, despite a 25% increase in intraocular pressure (r = 0.50, P less than 0.001). Polarization of fluorescence of fluorescein in the corneal stroma decreased with age (r = -0.46, P less than 0.001). We conclude that with age the human corneal endothelium becomes morphologically less regular and may become more permeable to fluorescein.