The morphology, distribution and immunophenotype of corneal dendritic cells was investigated in frozen sections of normal human cornea using a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Throughout the cornea, epithelial dendritic cells were labelled with mAbs LN2 and LN3, directed to HLA-DR-associated antigens. In the peripheral corneal and limbic epithelium, dendritic cells with long cytoplasmic processes in a suprabasal position were identified as being OKT6+, whereas in the central corneal epithelium, dendritic cells with short processes were located basally and corresponded to the OKT6- phenotype. Throughout the corneal stroma, LN2+ LN3+ OKT6- spindle cells were found. This study discloses that corneal dendritic cells display considerable phenotypic and morphologic heterogeneity. We suggest that this heterogeneity is partly due to local inductive effects of peripheral corneal basal cells.