Separation of the Pars Ciliaris Retinae in Retrolental Fibroplasia

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

1. In a review of pathologic material at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 11 cases of retrolental fibroplasia were found, 10 in premature infants and one in a full-term infant. The pathologic changes were separation of pars optica retinae and pars ciliaris retinae with its attached zonular fibers. The lens lost its posterior support and shifted forward. 2. New vessels from the vascular layer of the ciliary body proliferated beneath the retina, and in some cases there was evidence of subretinal hemorrhage. Proliferation of the ciliary pigment epithelium was a secondary manifestation. 3. The retrolental membrane consisted primarily of separated pars ciliaris retinae and pars optica retinae, the latter contributing varying amounts of fibroblasts and thin-walled vessels to the retrolental region. 4. Developmental defects and remnants of the hyaloid artery and tunica vasculosa lentis were not observed. 5. The fact that some degree of separation of the pars ciliaris retinae was seen consistently in the present series, although it is seldom encountered in other pathologic conditions even in the eyes of infants, may indicate that developmental immaturity is an important factor in retrolental fibroplasia. 1. In a review of pathologic material at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, 11 cases of retrolental fibroplasia were found, 10 in premature infants and one in a full-term infant. The pathologic changes were separation of pars optica retinae and pars ciliaris retinae with its attached zonular fibers. The lens lost its posterior support and shifted forward. 2. New vessels from the vascular layer of the ciliary body proliferated beneath the retina, and in some cases there was evidence of subretinal hemorrhage. Proliferation of the ciliary pigment epithelium was a secondary manifestation. 3. The retrolental membrane consisted primarily of separated pars ciliaris retinae and pars optica retinae, the latter contributing varying amounts of fibroblasts and thin-walled vessels to the retrolental region. 4. Developmental defects and remnants of the hyaloid artery and tunica vasculosa lentis were not observed. 5. The fact that some degree of separation of the pars ciliaris retinae was seen consistently in the present series, although it is seldom encountered in other pathologic conditions even in the eyes of infants, may indicate that developmental immaturity is an important factor in retrolental fibroplasia.