In vivo confocal microscopy of the cornea in health and disease

The cornea is the transparent structure forming the anterior eye. Principal functions include:transmitting and focusing light onto the retina, containing intraocular pressure, and providing aprotective interface with the environment. In vivo confocal microscopy enables examination of the living human cornea at the microstructurallevel. This technique, in combination with computerized topography, corneal aesthesiometry and other clinical assessments has been utilized in a series of inter-related studies of the humancornea.Using in vivo confocal microscopy, these studies have provided important qualitativeand quantitative data that add to our knowledge of the human cornea, at the microstructural level, in health and disease states.