Rose bengal stains areas of?

Rose bengal is a vital dye commonly used in ophthalmology to identify devitalized or damaged cells on the ocular surface. When applied to the eye, it selectively stains corneal and conjunctival cells that are non-viable or compromised. This characteristic makes it particularly valuable in diagnosing conditions such as dry eye syndrome, corneal abrasions, and other ocular surface disorders.

In the context of the answer provided, "devitalized tissue" accurately describes the areas that rose bengal stains. Cells that are not functioning properly will absorb the dye, becoming evident during examination. This ability to highlight dying or injured cells aids practitioners in identifying areas that may require further investigation or treatment.

Other options represent different ocular conditions or phenomena that do not correlate directly with the specific action of rose bengal staining. Neovascularization refers to the formation of new blood vessels, microcysts are small fluid-filled sacs that can occur in various ocular conditions, and Fleischer's ring is associated with keratoconus and is not influenced by the dye properties of rose bengal.