In vivo ocular imaging of the cornea of the normal female laboratory beagle using confocal microscopy

Abstract

Objective: To obtain normative data for the normal laboratory beagle cornea using high-resolution in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).

Animals studied: Sixteen eyes of eight healthy young female intact beagles.

Procedures: The central cornea was imaged using IVCM. Mixed effects linear regression was used for statistical analysis.

Results: in vivo confocal microscopy allowed detailed visualization and quantification of epithelial cells (superficial epithelial cell diameter: 43.25 ± 6.64 μm, basal cell diameter: 4.43 ± 0.67 μm), and nerve fibers (subepithelial nerve fiber diameter: 2.38 ± 0.69 μm, anterior stromal nerve fiber diameter: 16.93 ± 4.55 μm). Keratocyte density (anterior stroma 993.38 ± 134.24 cells/mm(2) , posterior stroma 789.38 ± 87.13 cells/mm(2) ) and endothelial cell density (2815.18 ± 212.59 cells/mm(2) ) were also measured.

Conclusion: High-resolution IVCM provides detailed noninvasive evaluation of the cornea in the normal laboratory beagle.

Keywords: canine; confocal microscopy; cornea; corneal nerves; endothelial cell density; laboratory beagle.