Objective: The study was designed to investigate the corneal changes at various times after epikeratophakia performed on rabbit cornea.
Methods: The process of epithelial repair, or interlayer healing, the changes of endothelial cells and Langerhans cells (LC) in corneal epithelium were observed at different intervals after surgery by using histochemistry technique.
Results: The epithelial repair of the graft was completed by 4-12 postoperative days. The repopulation of keratocytes was seen firstly at peripheral and superior part of the lenticule at 7-14 postoperative days and completed to normal by postoperative 2 months. No changes were observed in the endothelial cells. The proliferation of LC was observed in the limbal epithelium at day 3, reached the peak by day 14 and recovered to normal at month 2 postoperatively.
Conclusion: Epikeratophakia is available and safe, The proliferation of LC might result from wound healing not from immune rejection.