Abstract: Objective To explore the causes of decrease in corneal endothelial cells and the importance of examining the corneal endothelial cells in patients prior to cataract surgery. Methods The series comprised 336 male and 467 female patients. Their age ranged from 29 to 95 years, average 75 years. Decrease in corneal endothelial cell density was defined as reduction by twice the standard deviation from the known value for healthy persons in each age group. Results Eightytwo of the patients(10.2%) had decreased corneal endothelial cell density. The presumed underlying causes were diabetes mellitus(22.0%), glaucoma(7.3%), atopic dermatitis(2.4%) and others. No causes could be identified in 38 cases(46.3%). Conclusion Reduction in endothelial cells is present in about 10% of cases awaiting cataract surgery. We advocate evaluation of corneal endothelial cells as a routine procedure prior to intraocular surgery.

Key words: cataract, corneal endothelium, ophthalmologic examination