Specular microscopy of human corneal endothelium in vivo.

A clinical specular microscope used in the routine examination fo the corneal endothelium of 40 patients at high magnification, without inconvenience or discomfort to the patients, detected endothelial damage or disease that was not seen by slit-lamp examination. A statistically significant decrease (P less than .001) in the number of central endothelial cells with age was documented.