Fig. 4

The epithelial analysis was performed at 3 (B) and 5 (C, D) months after SLET on case 6. a Preoperative image. b After 3 months, the hAM was almost absorbed, and the limbal tissues appeared with indistinct margins. d, e The epithelial cells of the central cornea appeared with indistinct cell borders. f The implants were mainly surrounded by immature epithelium. c After 5 months, the implants were almost invisible. g, h IVCM demonstrated that multilayered corneal epithelial cells were intact without goblet cells. i The area of immature cells around the implants was gradually reduced and replaced by a large number of mature cells. j IC showed a corneal phenotype without evidence of goblet cells. k, l The residual limbal tissue, containing a large number of ovoid cells from the donor’s eye, was surrounded by the corneal epithelial cells, which were separated from the conjunctival goblet cells. The frame size is 400 × 400 μm. LT, limbal tissue; IMC, immature cells; MC, mature cells; CE, cornea epithelium; OC, ovoid cells; GC, goblet cells