RESUMO Foram analisados os prontuários e as córneas provenientes de 49 pacientes submetidos à ceratoplastia penetrante, com diagnóstico de distrofia, durante o período de 1982 a 1988. Destes casos, 16 pacientes (32,7%) eram do sexo masculino e 33 (67,3%) do sexo feminino. A idade média dos pacientes foi de 32 anos, variando de 7 a 76 anos. Entre as mulheres, a faixa etária compreendida entre 21 e 30 anos foi a que apresentou o maior número de casos que evoluíram para transplante, entretanto nos homens a faixa etária entre 31 e 40 anos foi a que apresentou o maior número de casos. Em ordem decrescente as distrofias mais freqüentes foram: Granular, Macular, Lattice, Fuchs, Reis-Bücklers e Polimorfa Posterior.
SUMMARY Forty-nine patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty, had their medical history charts and corneas analized during the period from 1982 to 1988 and were diagnosed with dystrophy. Of these case, 16 patients (32,7%) were male and 33 (67,3%) female. The average age of the patients was 32, varying from 7 to 76 years old. Among the women, the age group between 21 and 30 years was the one which has show the largest number of cases that have lead to transplant, however among the men, the age group between 31 to 40 years, was the one which has shown the largest number of cases. In deceasing order the most common dystrophies were: Granular, Macular, Lattice, Fuchs, Reis-Bücklers and Posterior Polymorphous Dystrophy.