Posterior chamber Flashcards
What is the volume of the posterior chamber?
0.06ml
What are the boundaries of the posterior chamber?
Anterior: heavily pigmented posterior iris
Peripherally: ciliary body
Posteriorly: lens and zonules
Why is the sulcus between the iris and ciliary body significant?
Useful for putting lens in cataract surgery if there are issues putting it in the capsule
What are the two sections of the ciliary body?
Anterior, Pars plicata: contains ciliary processes, 2mm, 60-80 ciliary processes
Posterior, Pars plana: avascular, good for injections, 4mm length
Describe the shape of the lens
Biconvex transparent structure
Thin outer capsule
Medium dense cortex
Firm inner hard nucleus
What is the ciliary body?
A ring of tissue in the anterior segment of the eye
Forms middle part of uveal tract
What is the uveal tract?
Vascular, pigmented, middle layer of the eye
Formed by choroid, ciliary body and iris
Brings most of the nutrients to the eye and absorbs light
What is the shape of the ciliary body?
In 3D is a ring
In cross section, triangle at iris root and apex at ora serrata
How big is the ciliary body?
6mm in length
Runs from 1.5mm posterior to corneal limbus to 7.5-8mm posterior to this temporally and 6.5-7mm nasally
What is the ciliary body continuous with?
Iris anteriorly Choroid posteriorly (scalloped to fit into tooth like edge of ora serrata)
What are the relations of the ciliary body?
External: 1.5mm posterior to corneal limbus
Internal: anteriorly: anteriorchamber, iridocorneal angle and scleral spur
Medial: posterior chamber and zonular ligaments
Zonules attach to surface of pars plicata
Equator of the lens is 0.5mm from ciliary processes
Posterior: vitreous
What are the histological layers of the ciliary body?
Ciliary epithelium
ciliary stroma
Ciliary muscles
Supraciliaris
What are the two layers of the ciliary epithelium?
Non pigmented layer
Pigmented layer
Describe the non pigmented layer of the ciliary epithelium
Continuous with pigmented posterior epithelium of iris
Anterior continuation of neural retina
Continues anteriorly to line anterior chamber
Basement membrane faces posterior chamber
Junctions between cells represent primary blood aqueous barrier in ciliary body (from zonular occuldens and adherens)
Extensive foldings-interdigitate neighbouring cells
Well developed golgi apparatus, many mitochondria and extensive endoplasmic reticulum
Describe the pigmented layer of the ciliary epithelium
Anterior continuation of retinal pigment epithelium
Continuous with anterior epithelium of the iris
Basement membrane faces ciliary stroma
Packed with melanosomes
Small golgi apparatus, many mitochondria
Basal lamina infolded suggesting ion transport
How are the non pigmented and pigmented layers of the ciliary epithelium similar?
Both layers make aqueous
2 layers may be coordinated
Both cubical cells
Describe the ciliary stroma
Loose connective tissue
Rich in blood vessels and melanocytes
Contains ciliary muscle
Core of ciliary process
What type of muscle is the ciliary muscle? What are the 3 main groups?
Smooth muscle
Longitudinal: major, most external, closest to sclera, inserts into scleral spur
Oblique/radial: runs from first to 3rd layer, radiate out from scleral spur
Circular: most internal, like a sphincter, close to peripheral edge of the lens
What is supraciliaris?
Pigemented collagen, containing fibroblasts and melanocytes
What is the blood supply to the ciliary body?
Ophthalmic artery
2 long posterior ciliary arteries pierce sclera near optic nerve, go anteriorly between sclera and choroid at peripheral edge of the iris, forms major arterial circle (with 7 anterior ciliary arteries)
Venous drainage: via vortex veins (mainly) and anterior ciliary veins
Capillaries near ciliary epithelium are fenestrated
What is the parasympathetic nerve supply to the ciliary body?
Parasympathetic: supplies ciliary muscle
Preganglionic neurons in Edinger-Westphal nulear, axons travel via occulomotor nerve to synapse in ciliary ganglion
Post ganglionic parasympathetic fibres pass forward in the short ciliary nerves (6-10)
What is the sympathetic nerve supply to the ciliary body?
Vasomotor supply to blood vessels
Preganglionic neurones synapse in superior cervical ganglion, postganglionic travel via nasociliary nerve/ long ciliary nerves
Some pass the ciliary ganglion and pass forward in short ciliary nerves (2-3)
What is the sensory supply to the ciliary body?
Function unknown
From nasociliary nerve via long and short ciliary nerves
What are the functions of the ciliary body?
Aqueous production: actively produced in ciliary epithelium
Accomodation: contraction of ciliary muscle causes ciliary rings to decrease in diameter, ciliary body moves forward, tension decreases on zonules, lens becomes more convex-> increased power-> accomodation
Production and maintenance of zonular ligaments (by non pigmented epithelium)
Which two embryological tissues form the ciliary body?
Neuroectoderm: forms 2 layers of epithelium covering the ciliary body
Mesenchyme: on edge of optic cup differentiates into connective tissue of ciliary body, SM of ciliary body and suspensory ligaments
When does the ciliary body reach its adult dimensions?
7 years old
Linear relation between ciliary body and axial length of the eye
Pars plana and sclerotomy site will vary with age
Why do the iris, ciliary body and anterior choroid get inflamed together?
Share a common blood supply
Called uveitis
When can the position of the ciliary body lead to glaucoma?
Plateau iris
What are the two key risks of trauma to the anterior chamber in relation to the ciliary body?
Angle recession: split between layers of ciliary muscle
Cylodialysis: split between sclera and ciliary body
Which embryological tissue does the lens develop from?
Ectoderm thickens into lens placode, then invaginates into lens pit
Cells in posterior end of lens pit lengthen to form primary fibre cells
How does the embryological lens differentiate into primary fibres and epithelium?
The primary fibre cells elongate and a space forms between them and the overlying lens epithelium
Why does the lens grow throughout life?
Only the epithelium of the lens divides (just above the equator)
Epithelial cells which shift below the equator differentiate into secondary fibre cells which pile up throughout your life
How are the fibres within the lens arranged?
Very regularly
What shape do the apical fibres meeting at the anterior pole of the embryological lens make?
Y shaped sutures
Start out with Y shaped sutures then become more complex as lens grow
How does lens develop polarity and growth patterns?
Relationship of lens to optic cup
Vitreous promotes fibre differentation
Aqueous promotes proliferation of epithelial phenotype
Confirmed by lens inversion experiment 1963
Describe the 1963 lens inversion experiment
They took a chicken lens and inverted it so the epithelial cells face the retina and the original epithelial cells differentiates into a new mass of fibre cells
Which hormone present in the vitreous induces fibre differentiation?
FGF