Eye
Cornea
Bullous keratopathy
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Last author update: 1 October 2013
Last staff update: 22 December 2020
Copyright: 2004-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Bullous keratopathy [title] pathology
Cite this page: Pernick N. Bullous keratopathy. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/eyecorneabullouskeratopathy.html. Accessed September 27th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Injury to endothelium (does not regenerate) which normally pumps fluid out from corneal stroma
- Leads to chronic edema of stroma and epithelium, subepithelial bullae, pain, eventually diffuse scarring and reduced vision
- Called aphakic bullous keratopathy if after cataract extraction
- Causes include:
- Immunologic rejection of corneal endothelium
- Fuchs dystrophy
- Implantation of prosthetic intraocular lens
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Intraepithelial vesicles
- Bullae between epithelium and Bowman layer
- Fewer endothelial cells than normal
- Increased corneal thickness with loss of normal artifactual clefts between collagen lamellae
