Unexpected findings: loss of corneal endothelial cells in Uygur patients with exfoliation syndrome.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate anterior segment parameters in patients with exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and exfoliation glaucoma (XFG).

Methods: The study adopted a retrospective case series design, involving a total of 56 patients (112 eyes) with unrelated XFS/XFG (XFS: 26 patients/60 eyes; XFG: 30 patients/44 eyes) and 100 age-related cataract cases as the control group (200 eyes). The participants were evaluated at the ophthalmology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. Clinical data, including eye axial length, anterior chamber depth, white-to-white distance, central corneal thickness, and corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), were collected for statistical analysis.

Results: ECD exhibited a significant difference between the XFS/XFG and age-related cataract groups (P < 0.001), while the remaining indexes did not show statistical differences (P > 0.05). Ocular parameters in patients with XFS and XFG were distinct from those in age-related cataract cases, with consistent results. Notably, there were no statistically significant differences between XFS and XFG patients.

Conclusions: ECD is reduced in XFS/XFG patients compared with age-related cataract subjects. It is crucial to remain vigilant to enhance surgical safety in XFS/XFG patients and prevent complications proactively.