Researchers did this study to conduct a review and meta-analysis for investigating the relative reduction of central corneal BCD and nerve parameters in OSD and LSCD.
Researchers carried out a systematic literature search using the terms “ocular surface disease” or “ocular surface disorder”; “in vivo confocal microscopy”; “limbal stem cell deficiency”; “basal cell density” or “corneal basal cell density” or “central corneal basal cell density”; “corneal nerves” or “corneal nerve parameters” or “central corneal nerve parameters”) was performed. The results are presented as WMD with corresponding 95% CI.
The researchers identified and included sixteen studies that reported the central corneal BCD and twenty-one studies that reported the central corneal nerve parameters in OSD. A significant reduction in central corneal BCD was observed in patients with various OSDs and patients with LSCD compared with healthy controls. However, no significant difference in BCD was observed between the two groups. There was no conclusive difference in various central corneal nerve parameters between OSDs and LSCD.
The study concluded that central corneal BCD and nerve parameters are reduced in LSCD; there is a similar reduction in other OSDs.
Reference: https://bjo.bmj.com/content/104/12/1633
