Fig. 2
Morphological aspects of infiltrated immune cells in stromal cornea by In Vivo Confocal Microscopy (IVCM). Representative images captured via IVCM provide insights into distinct cellular structures observed in different groups and time points. A G-1, Case-3 at one month. The mid stroma displays the presence of small roundish punctiform structures (white arrows), representing remnant cells (cell area < 50 µm2). B G-1, Case-2 at 12 months. The anterior stroma features a roundish cellular structure (blue arrow) with a nucleus area consistent with a Lymphocyte (72 µm2), and the presence of a large-sized cell, rounded and highly reflective, resembling an inflammatory cell (red arrow) with a nucleus area corresponding to a Macrophage (431 µm2). C G-2, Case-5 at 12 months, on the decellularized cornea lamina (dCL). Notable are two lymphocytes (67 µm2, 63 µm2, blue arrows) and an elongated granulocyte (227 µm2, Green arrow). D G-2, Case-8 at 12 months, on the dCL evident, are a highly reflective cell (red arrow) resembling a Macrophage (348 µm2), and two lymphocytes (69 µm2, 62 µm2, blue arrows). E G-3, Case-11 at six months. The lamina exhibits rounded, small, and highly reflective cells (green arrows), identified as granulocytes, with respective areas of 102 µm2 and 109 µm2. F G-3, Case-10 at 12 months, anterior stroma. Notice the presence of a large-sized, elongated, highly reflective cell (red arrow), encompassing a nuclear area corresponding to a macrophage size (2631 µm2, red arrow), indicating the engulfment of nuclei from other cells