Molecular Vision: Liang, Mol Vis 2008; 14:204-216. Table 2

Table 2. Description of cresyl violet conjunctival impression cytology results at D1 following repeated applications of quaternary ammonium compound emulsions and solutions

	PBS	BAK Sol	BAK Em	CKC Sol	CKC Em
Nucleocytoplasmic ratio	1/2 to 1/3	Not interpretable due to inflammation	1 to 1/2	1 to 1/2	1/2 to 1/3
Anisocytosis/anisonucleosis	/	++++	++	++	+
Cell size	Normal	Very irregular	Irregular	Irregular	Normal
Inflammatory cells	/	++++	+++	++	/
Goblet cells	++	/	+	+	+++

Impression cytology of conjunctival surface after PBS instillation at D1 showed normal conjunctival epithelial cells without inflammatory infiltration. In the BAK Sol-instilled group, there existed intense infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells. The conjunctival epithelium and the goblet cells were barely recognized. BAK Em and CKC Sol induced moderate abnormality. The CKC Em eyes presented an almost normal conjunctival epithelium aspect without obvious inflammatory infiltration. Goblet cells were found to be normal. /: No abnormality, +: discrete, ++: moderate, +++: high, ++++: extremely intense