Abstract: In 35 patients with glaucoma（including 1 patien with neovascular glaucoma.2 with openangle glaucoma and 32 with acute angle-closure glaucoma）,the corneal endothelium was examined by specular microscopy,and the results were compared with those in 20 normal people.
The mean endothelial cell density in the eyes with glaucoma was 2236.1±447.3/mm²（990— 2925）and that in the normal eyes was 2667.8±201.5/mm²（P＜0.001）.
In 20 patients with unilateral involvement,the mean endothelial cell density in the affected eye was 2258.0±457/mm²,and in the nonaffected fellow eye was 2553.7+368.2/mm²（P＜0.001）. The reduced mean endothelial cell density of the affected eyes was 11.78%（2.1%—40.5%）.The results showed that the increase in intraocular pressure in glaucoma leads to damage of the corneal endothelium.It’s mechanism and clinical significence were discused.