Abstract：
There has been a growing application of in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) in the examination of corneal microstructure, including different corneal layers and corneal nerve fibers in health and in pathological conditions. Corneal nerves forming the sub-basal nerve plexus (SBNP) beneath the corneal basal epithelial cell layer in particular have been intensively researched in health and disease as a marker for corneal neurophysioanatomical and degenerative changes. One intriguing feature in the SBNP that is found inferior to the corneal apex, is a whorl-like pattern (or vortex) of nerves, which represents an anatomical landmark. Evidence has indicated that the architecture of this \'whorl region\' is dynamic, changing with time in healthy individuals but also in disease conditions such as in diabetic neuropathy and keratoconus. This review summarizes the known information regarding the characteristics and significance of the whorl region of nerves in the corneal SBNP, as a potential area of high relevance for future disease monitoring and diagnostics.
摘要：
体内共聚焦显微镜（IVCM）在角膜微结构检查中的应用越来越多，包括健康和病理条件下不同的角膜层和角膜神经纤维。特别是在健康和疾病中对形成角膜基底上皮细胞层下方的基底下神经丛（SBNP）的角膜神经进行了深入研究，作为角膜神经生理解剖和退行性变化的标志。SBNP中发现的一个有趣的特征是低于角膜顶点，是神经的漩涡状模式(或漩涡)，代表一个解剖学标志。有证据表明，这个“螺纹区域”的架构是动态的，随着时间的推移，在健康的个体，也在疾病条件，如糖尿病神经病变和圆锥角膜。这篇综述总结了有关角膜SBNP中神经螺纹区的特征和意义的已知信息，作为未来疾病监测和诊断高度相关的潜在领域。
