Abstract
The corneo-scleral limbus contains several biological components, which are important constituents for understanding, diagnosing and managing several ocular pathologies, such as glaucoma and corneal abnormalities. An anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) system integrated with optical microangiography (OMAG) is used in this study to non-invasively visualize the three-dimensional microstructural and microvascular properties of the limbal region. Advantages include first the ability to correct optical distortion of microstructural images enabling quantification of relationships in the anterior chamber angle. Second, microvascular images enable the visualization of the microcirculation in the limbal area without the use of exogenous contrast agents. Third, by combining the microstructural and microvascular information, the aqueous outflow pathway can be identified. The proposed AS-OCT can serve as a useful tool for ophthalmological research to determine normal and pathologic changes in the outflow system. As a clinical tool it has the potential to detect early aqueous outflow system abnormalities that lead to the pressure elevation in glaucoma. Recent surgical innovations and their implementations also rely on an assessment of outflow system structure and function, which can be revealed by AS-OCT.
Highlights
The corneo-scleral limbus is a transitional zone in the anterior region of the eye and contains several significant biological components which are important to fundamental research and clinical management [1]
The same region contains the palisades of Vogt, considered to be both a repository of stem cells responsible for the maintenance of the corneal epithelium and to serve as a “barrier” for the conjunctival epithelial cells that prevents them from migrating to the corneal surface [3,4]
The microstructural images obtained with the anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-Optical coherence tomography (OCT)) system, allow for the identification of several biological components
Summary
The corneo-scleral limbus is a transitional zone in the anterior region of the eye and contains several significant biological components which are important to fundamental research and clinical management [1]. The corneal region includes the corneal arcades, an important area for nutrient supply and waste removal from the avascular cornea [1,2]. The scleral region contains a rich vascular distribution (conjunctival vessels, episcleral vessels, and intrascleral vessels), a vasculature responsible for supplying oxygen and nutrition to the limbal area [1,2,5]. The limbal area contains the aqueous outflow system (including the trabecular meshwork, Schlemm’s canal, the aqueous and the episcleral veins), an important pathway that allows the aqueous humor to leave the eye and return to the vascular system [1,6,7]. Better imaging capabilities should provide the ability to make better surgical decisions in this area
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