[Main directions in corneal nerve fibers research].

This lecture-format review presents a summary of methods for assessing the condition of corneal nerve fibers (CNF), their clinical significance, and an overview of their anatomy and physiology. It briefly analyzes the structural and functional characteristics of CNF in various ocular diseases, following eye surgeries, and in patients with systemic diseases accompanied by systemic polyneuropathy. The article describes in detail the management algorithm that involves a comprehensive analysis of CNF and Langerhans inflammatory cells, identifies the at-risk groups for developing structural nerve impairments, and outlines the main criteria for CNF assessment.