COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CORNEAL ENDOTHELIAL CELL PARAMETERS IN LOW AND HIGH MYOPIC EYES AMONG ADULT EGYPTIAN PATIENTS
Published 2026 - 30th ESCRS Winter Meeting
Reference: FP04.02 | Type: Free Paper | DOI: 10.82333/6qxr-zm85
Authors: Omar Aboumadawy* 1 , Amr Habib 1 , Ibrahim Allam 1 , Nada GabAllah 1
1Ophthalmology,Alexandria University,Alexandria,Egypt
Purpose
To compare corneal endothelial cell density ( ECD ) and morphological parameters between low and high myopic eyes among adult Egyptian patients, and to determine the biometric variables especially axial length most strongly associated with endothelial alteration.
Setting
Ophthalmology Outpatients Clinic , Alexandria Main University Hospital , Alexandria , Egypt
May 2023 to November 2023
Inclusion criteria: Age 18-40 years, Clear cornea with no history of trauma or surgery
Exclusion criteria: Contact lens wearer, Hx of Trauma , Hx of ocular surgery , Any condition affecting ECD.
Methods
This cross-sectional comparative study included 172 eyes from 86 adult Egyptian patients. All participants underwent full ophthalmic examination including refraction, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fundus examination, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, and non-contact specular microscopy. Participants were divided into two groups: low myopia (≤–6.00 D) and high myopia (>–6.00 D). ECD, coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagonality (HEX%) were compared between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified biometric predictors of endothelial dysfunction.
Results
Mean ECD was significantly lower in highly myopic eyes compared to low myopic eyes (p = 0.006), while CV and HEX% showed no significant difference. ROC analysis revealed axial length as the strongest predictor of endothelial cell loss (AUC = 0.82, cutoff = 26.5 mm, sensitivity 85%, specificity 78%), followed by IOP (AUC = 0.78), fundus changes (AUC = 0.75), CV% (AUC = 0.73), and HEX% (AUC = 0.70).
Conclusion
High myopia is associated with decreased endothelial cell density, while morphologic parameters remain largely stable. Axial length is the most influential predictor of endothelial vulnerability.
As axial length increases , ECD and HEX% decreases while CV% increases. It is more accurate to rely on axial length instead of cycloplegic refaraction while testing the effect of myopia on endothelial cell parameters
This is the first study from North Africa to explore the relationship between myopia severity and corneal endothelial morphology, providing novel regional data for Egyptian patients.