Fig. 6

Transmission electron microscopy pictures of dystrophic corneal buttons from III:10 (a, b, c, e and f) and normal residue donor cornea (d). a low magnification image (1200X) overview of epithelium and anterior corneal stroma. White hash marks denote the mounted copper grids. b Higher magnification image (3000X) view of a characteristic pattern of three bands including numerous electron-dense, rod-shaped bodies parallel to the epithelial layer in superficial cornea (pointed by white asterisks). The region demarcated by the black rectangle in panel (a) is shown. In underlying stroma, clusters of rod-shaped bodies are aggregate (pointed by arrowheads). c Low magnification (1200X) view of clusters of deposits scattered in posterior corneal stroma (pointed by arrowheads). d TEM image (3650X) of normal epithelial basal cells (indicated by EP), basement membrane (pointed by triangle) and keratocyte. e Higher magnification (6000X) view of corneal epithelium (indicated by EP) and superficial dystrophic deposits. The deposits protrude into extracellular of epithelium (pointed by triangle), other than intracellular of epithelium. f High magnification (15000X) of rod-shaped bodies presenting extracellular (pointed by white arrows) and intracellular (pointed by black arrows) of stromal keratocytes. The region demarcated by the black rectangle in panel (c) is shown