Retina general info and findings Flashcards
Know the layers of the retina on OCT.
Which layers appear as dark bands?
Inner nuclear layer, outer nuclear layer, inner photoreceptor segm., and outer photoreceptor segm.
What are the two landmarks that we use in the retina and what are their sizes?
Optic nerve: =1DD =1.5-2mm in size (also 500 microns is about 0.33 DD)
Vessels: 1st vein is approx. 120 microns
What are the sizes for the parts of the macula/fovea?
foveola - floor of the fovea 0.35mm
fovea rod-free zone - 0.57mm
fovea - 1.5 mm across (shallow depression in the center of the macula)
parafovea - retinal bipolar and gg cells highest 0.5mm
perifovea - gg cells go from 4 thick to 1 cell thick 1.5mm
macula - 4mm across
How many mm ora to ora?
32mm
Posterior pole size and macula location?
Posterior pole is about 45 degrees, and the macula is about 11.8 degrees temporal from the optic disc
What are the 5 layers of Bruch’s Membrane?
Posterior to Anterior:
- Basement membrane of choriocapillaris
- Outer collagenous layer
- Elastic lamina
- Inner collagenous layer
- Basement membrane of the RPE
Which layer do drusen first accumulate in?
the inner collagenous layer of Bruch’s membrane
Which structures make up the blood-retina barrier?
basement membrane of the RPE, and endothelial cells of the retinal vessels
What is a main difference between the vessels in the choroid compared to the vessels in the retina?
Choroid has no tight junctions, vessels are fenestrated!
Retinal vessels are not fenestrated and make up part of the blood-retina barrier.
Which layers in the choroid have small vessels vs larger vessels?
Sattler’s layer has small vessels, Hallers layer has large vessels
Know normal retinal blood supply. What does the ACA supply?
anterior uvea and anterior choriocapillaris
What artery supplies the inner retina?
Central retinal artery
What do the SPCAs supply?
nasal and temporal choriocapillaris that supplies the posterior ⅔ of the outer retina (up to the ONL, including OPL, ELM, photoreceptors, RPE)
What do the LPCAs supply?
peripheral choriocapillaris, one nasal and one temporal, supplies the anterior ⅓ of the outer retina (up to the ONL, including OPL, ELM, photoreceptors, RPE)
Which layer of the retina has the branches of the CRA running through?
branches run through the nerve fibre layer with adhesions to ILM. superficial capillary network runs in NFL and GCL, deep capillary network runs in the INL.
What is autoregulation in the retina?
retina autoregulates its blood flow and depends on the CO2/O2 level. decrease in O2 causes high CO2 and vessels will dilate trying to increase flow. increase in O2 and low CO2 causes vessels to constrict and have decreased flow and increased resistance and pressure. If pressure gets too much, the vessels will change tone (myogenic response) to resist the change in IOP.
this fluctuation concept is what leads to diabetic retinal vessel findings
Differences between retinal arteries and veins:
arterioles lie in the NFL or GCL, they are strong and not easily affected by external forces (should not see spontaneous pulse), smooth muscles, no elastic lamina
venules are thin-walled, distensible, compressable, allows for SVP
In between which layers is a pre-retinal (subhyaloid) hemorrhage found? and where does the blood come from?
posterior to ILM and anterior to NFL
blood comes from the superficial capillary bed
Which hemorrhage is affected by gravity?
pre-retinal hemorrhage
Which hemorrhage clears up the fastest? (When seen is always bright red and fresh)
pre-retinal hemorrhage, clears in days to 1 month
What might a pre-retinal heme be a sign of?
peripheral vascular disease/arterial disease
Does a pre-retinal heme lie in front of, with, or behind the visible retinal vessels?
Pre-retinal hemorrhage occurs in front of the vessels, obscures underlying vessels, blocks NFL and choroid and everything behind it (affects vision)
Which type of hemorrhage follows the NFL pattern?
Flame shape hemes
What might flame-shaped hemes be a sign of?
most commonly associated with retinal vein occlusions and hypertensive retinopathy