Authors: Pavel Studený 1,2; Jakub Dítě 1; Martin Horák 1; Klára Cenková 1,3; Zbyněk Straňák 1,2; Magdalena Netuková 1 Authors place of work: Ophthalmology Clinic of the University Hospital Královské Vinohrady and 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic 1; European Eye clinic Lexum, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic 2; Department of Ophthalmology, 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and Military University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic 3 Published in the journal: Čes. a slov. Oftal., 82, 2026, No. 3, p. 133-139 Category: Původní práce doi: https://doi.org/10.31348/2025/46
Aims: To determine the incidence of Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) in patients undergoing cataract surgery in the Czech population.
Material and Methods: Consecutive group of 2804 eyes of 1499 patients undergoing cataract surgery at the Lexum Karlovy Vary clinic in the period from 4/2022 to 9/2024. The corneal endothelium was examined preoperatively using a slit lamp and an endothelial microscope. The corneas were divided into 6 grades (0–5) according to the Krachmer scale, or 4 clinical stages of the disease.
Results: The incidence of FECD in our group of patients undergoing cataract surgery was 29.6% (total 840 eyes). In 578 cases this concerned stage 1 of the disease, which had no effect on the outcome of the operation. In 81 cases it concerned a stage 3-5 disease, in which potential postoperative complications must be taken into account. In 13 cases (0.46%) we primarily performed a combined procedure of cataract surgery and DMEK (Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty).
Conclusion: FECD in the population of cataract patients is probably often under-diagnosed. In our cohort of patients we registered some signs of the disease in more than a quarter of the patients.
DMEK – cataract – Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy
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