Choroid and vitreous Flashcards
What connects the lamina fusca (innermost scleral layer) to the choroid?
Fine collagen fibres- weak attachment
Potential space between choroid and lamina fusca =perichoroidal space
What runs within the perichoroidal space?
Long and short posterior ciliary arteries and nerves
Where does the choroid become continuous with the pia and arachnoid?
At optic nerve
What are the 3 layers of the choroid?
Suprachoroidea/lamina fusca
Vessel layer(Sattlers and Hallers)
Capillary layer/ Choriocapillaries
Bruch’s membrane (acellular)
What are the 5 layers of Bruch’s membrane?
2-4 microns thick (thickest near disc) BM of endothelium of capillaries Outer layer of collagen fibres Elastic fibre layer Inner layer of collagen fibres BM of pigment epithelium of retina
Where does the choroid run from?
Ora serrata anteriorly
Optic nerve posteriorly
Internally: RPE
Externally: Lamina fusca
What is the function of choroid?
Nourish outer layers of retina
Conduct blood vessels. nerves to anterior uvea
Thermoregulation
Absorbs excess light to prevent reflection (melanocytes within the choroidal stroma)
What is thickness of choroid?
Thickest at posterior pole 0.22mm
0.1mm at equator
What is the arterial supply of choroid?
Mainly long and short posterior ciliary arteries
Long from equator to orra serrata (anterior choroid)
Short from optic nerve to equator
Recurrent branches from anterior ciliary arteries
Describe the uveal vessels
Supply whole eye except neurosensory retina
Comes from ophthalmic artery
Becomes medial and lateral posterior ciliary arteries which divide into 10-20 branches
Most become short posterior ciliary arteries
2 become long posterior ciliary arteries
Some short posterior ciliary arteries anastomose around the optic nerve to form Circle of Zinn-Haller
Where do the long posterior ciliary arteries run?
Enter along horizontal meridian
Run anteriorly between sclera and choroid to ciliary body
Sends branches to ora serrata to supply anterior choroid up to equator
Also supplies iris, anterior part of ciliary body and ciliary processes
Where do the short posterior ciliary arteries run?
Run forward with optic nerve
Most enter globe temporally to optic nerve
Run in Haller’s layer of the choroid
Supply posterior choroid up to equator
Medial branches form Circle of Zinn/Haller to supply optic nerve head
Where do the anterior ciliary arteries run?
Run with recti (2 for each rectus except LR which only has 1)
Contribute to main arterial circle of iris
Contributes small amounts to supply choroid
What is the venous drainage of the choroid?
Number of vortex veins variable
2 inferior vortex veins which drain into inferior ophthalmic vein
Exit the globe at equator via posterior sclera
2 superior vortex veins -> superior ophthalmic vein
Ophthalmic veins drain into cavernous sinus
Where do drusen lie?
Between the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch’s membrane
Describe the choriocapillaris/capillary layer of choroid
Continous vascular sheet that lies beneath Bruch’s membrane
A lobular structure
Architecture of the layer varies from area to area
Largest capillaries in the body
Describe the different variations in the choriocapillaris
Prepapillary/submacular regions: Honeycomb
Posterior pole equator: lobular with central postcapillary venules and precapillary arterioles
Peripheral region: Elongated
Describe the capillaries of the choriocapillaris
Fenestrated-more fenestrated on Bruch's membrane side Wide lumen Meshwork spaces vary 1. posterior-small +oval 2. equator- long+wide 3. peripheral-irregular