Imaging Distal Aqueous Outflow Pathways in a Spontaneous Model of Congenital Glaucoma.

PubMed ID: 31616579

Author(s): Snyder KC, Oikawa K, Williams J, Kiland JA, Gehrke S, Teixeira LBC, Huang AS, McLellan GJ. Imaging distal aqueous outflow pathways in a spontaneous model of congenital glaucoma. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2019 Oct 9;8(5):22. doi: 10.1167/tvst.8.5.22. eCollection 2019 Sep. PMID 31616579

Journal: Translational Vision Science & Technology, Volume 8, Issue 5, Sep 2019

PURPOSE To validate the use of aqueous angiography (AA) in characterizing distal aqueous outflow pathways in normal and glaucomatous cats.

METHODS Ex vivo AA and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed in nine adult cat eyes (5 feline congenital glaucoma [FCG] and 4 normal), following intracameral infusion of 2.5% fluorescein and/or 0.4% indocyanine green (ICG) at physiologic intraocular pressure (IOP). Scleral OCT line scans were acquired in areas of high- and low-angiographic signal. Tissues dissected in regions of high- and low-AA signal, were sectioned and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained or immunolabeled (IF) for vascular endothelial and perivascular cell markers. Outflow vessel numbers and locations were compared between groups by Student’s t-test.

RESULTS AA yielded circumferential, high-quality images of distal aqueous outflow pathways in normal and FCG eyes. No AA signal or scleral lumens were appreciated in one buphthalmic FCG eye, though collapsed vascular profiles were identified on IF. The remaining eight of nine eyes all showed segmental AA signal, distinguished by differences in time of signal onset. AA signal always corresponded with lumens seen on OCT. Numbers of intrascleral vessels were not significantly different between groups, but scleral vessels were significantly more posteriorly located relative to the limbus in FCG.

CONCLUSIONS A capacity for distal aqueous humor outflow was confirmed by AA in FCG eyes ex vivo but with significant posterior displacement of intrascleral vessels relative to the limbus in FCG compared with normal eyes.

TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE This report provides histopathologic correlates of advanced diagnostic imaging findings in a spontaneous model of congenital glaucoma.

Copyright 2019 The Authors.