In vivo imaging of the fibrillar architecture of the posterior vitreous and its relationship to the premacular bursa, Cloquet’s canal, prevascular vitreous fissures, and cisterns

• Published in: Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology Vol. 257; no. 4; pp. 709 - 714
• Main Authors: Gal-Or, Orly, Ghadiali, Quraish, Dolz-Marco, Rosa, Engelbert, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.04.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Axial Length, Eye - anatomy & histology; Cortex; Degeneration; Eye; Female; Fibers; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Male; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Ophthalmology; Parallel fibers; Posterior Eye Segment - anatomy & histology; Posterior Eye Segment - diagnostic imaging; Retina; Retinal Disorders; Retrospective Studies; Splitting; Tomography, Optical Coherence - methods; Vitreous Body - anatomy & histology; Vitreous Body - diagnostic imaging; Vitreous cisterns; Fibrillar architecture; Premacular bursa; Swept-source optical coherence tomography; Posterior cortical vitreous; Axial length; Prevascular vitreous fissures; Vitreous anatomy; Lamellar reflectivity
• ISSN: 0721-832X; 1435-702X; 1435-702X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00417-018-04221-x

Purpose To describe the fibrillar architecture of the posterior cortical vitreous and identify variations across eyes of different axial lengths in vivo. Methods Sixty-four eyes of 32 subjects were examined with swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Grading of vitreous degeneration, presence of vitreous cisterns/lacunae, posterior hyaloid status, directionality of vitreous fibers and their relations to vitreous spaces, and lamellar reflectivity of the posterior vitreous were assessed. Results A consistent pattern of fibrillar organization was discovered. Eyewall parallel fibers formed a dense meshwork over the retinal surface and fibers oriented in a perpendicular fashion to this meshwork were found to envelop the various vitreous spaces, intersecting at variable angles of insertion to the eyewall parallel fibers. Lamellar reflectivity suggestive of splitting of the cortical fibrillar meshwork was detected in 27 eyes (42%) with 56% of these eyes demonstrating perpendicularly oriented intersecting fibers. Fifty-six percent of eyes with lamellar reflectivity had an axial length > 25 mm. Conclusion SS-OCT imaging revealed fibrillar organization of the posterior vitreous. Eye wall parallel hyperreflectivity of cortical vitreous was a universal finding. This pattern is suggestive of a splitting of cortical vitreous tissue and may represent a precursor to vitreoschisis. Perpendicular fibers appear to be important constituents of the walls of the various liquid vitreous spaces.