In Vivo Confocal Microscopy Evaluation in Dry Eye and Related Diseases

Abstract

Purpose of Review: We reviewed recent findings on in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) of the ocular surface in dry eye and related diseases. Recent Findings: In dry eye disease, IVCM allows for corneal structure evaluation at the cellular level and is frequently used in diagnosis, disease course follow-up, and management. IVCM also enables a detailed examination of variations, such as abnormal hyperreflexia keratocytes and inflammatory cells, altered corneal superficial cell density, and basal cell density. In addition, several cellular alterations in ocular surface diseases have been detected using IVCM. Many studies have used IVCM to evaluate qualitative and quantitative changes in the corneal nerves associated with dry eye disease, enabling characterization of the morphology, density, and disease or surgically induced alterations of the subbasal nerve plexus. Summary: IVCM is a valuable and promising complementary method for clinical diagnosis and follow-up in dry eye and related diseases. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.