Fig. 3
PFL with central guttae in polarized light. (A) Flat-mounted Descemet membrane (DM) from a central region exhibiting guttae. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) revealed faint polarization patterns surrounding the guttae, while the guttae themselves lacked a polarization signal. Under crossed polarization filters, light is suppressed totally. Collagen is rotating the polarization plane of the light so that it gets visible. The orientation of the faint parallel stripes (the polarization pattern of the collagen layer) depends on the orientation of the polarization filters in relation to the DM. Therefore, if the DM is rotated, the faint parallel stripes will also rotate indicating an unordered collagen mesh. Immunostaining for ZO1 highlighted the membranes of remaining corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs). (B) Polarization signals were also observed in the central region of unstained paraffin sections of cornea using PLM. Additional polarization was detected in the corneal stroma, indicating structural features of stromal collagen.
