%0 Journal Article %T In vivo laser confocal microscopy findings in patients with map-dot-fingerprint (epithelial basement membrane) dystrophy %A Kobayashi A %A Yokogawa H %A Sugiyama K %J Clinical Ophthalmology %D 2012 %I Dove Medical Press %X Akira Kobayashi, Hideaki Yokogawa, Kazuhisa SugiyamaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, JapanBackground: The purpose of this study was to investigate pathological changes of the corneal cell layer in patients with map-dot-fingerprint (epithelial basement membrane) dystrophy by in vivo laser corneal confocal microscopy.Methods: Two patients were evaluated using a cornea-specific in vivo laser scanning confocal microscope (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 2 Rostock Cornea Module, HRT 2-RCM). The affected corneal areas of both patients were examined. Image analysis was performed to identify corneal epithelial and stromal deposits correlated with this dystrophy.Results: Variously shaped (linear, multilaminar, curvilinear, ring-shape, geographic) highly reflective materials were observed in the ˇ°mapˇ± area, mainly in the basal epithelial cell layer. In ˇ°fingerprintˇ± lesions, multiple linear and curvilinear hyporeflective lines were observed. Additionally, in the affected corneas, infiltration of possible Langerhans cells and other inflammatory cells was observed as highly reflective Langerhans cell-like or dot images. Finally, needle-shaped materials were observed in one patient.Conclusion: HRT 2-RCM laser confocal microscopy is capable of identifying corneal microstructural changes related to map-dot-fingerprint corneal dystrophy in vivo. The technique may be useful in elucidating the pathogenesis and natural course of map-dot-fingerprint corneal dystrophy and other similar basement membrane abnormalities.Keywords: cornea, confocal microscopy, map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy, epithelial basement membrane dystrophy, Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 2 Rostock Cornea Module (HRT 2-RCM) %U http://www.dovepress.com/in-vivo-laser-confocal-microscopy-findings-in-patients-with-map-dot-fi-a10526