• We have developed an experimental model for the quantitative examination of the kinetics of the inflammatory cell response to thermal corneal injury. Using this model, we found a considerable difference in the type of inflammatory cell response to vasculogenic (peripheral) and nonvasculogenic (central) thermal cautery of the cornea. We found that infiltration of the corneal stroma with polymorphonuclear leukocytes preceded the growth of blood vessels in this model. This quantitative model will be useful in future studies of the role of inflammatory cells in different models of corneal neovascularization, and may provide quantitative evidence of how known inhibitors of corneal neovascularization exert their effect.