Application of anterior segment OCT in the diagnosis of corneal diseases

Clinical dignosis of cornea diseases requires a precise assessment of corneal structures.However,the resolution of ophthalmic instruments such as the slit-lamp is limited,and for ophthalmologists,it has always been a challenge to evaluate qualitatively but also quantitatively the microscopic structures of the cornea.Recently,a new imaging technique,anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT),has thus been developed to overcome these limitations of biomicroscopy.With it' s developed,AS-OCT will increase the diagnostic and therapeutic ability to ophthalmologist.The purpose of this article is to provide a large variety of AS-OCT applications in the cornea and anterior segment (eg.keratitis,cornea dystrophy,corneal / conjunctival squamous neoplasia,etc) and international review of AS-OCT.It may be helpful to render this new means of imaging more familiar and make it possible to use this very promising imaging technique with optimum efficiency. Key words: optical coherence tomography;  cornea disease/diagnosis