Trabecular meshwork

Trabecular meshwork
Trabecular meshwork
Gray870.png
Enlarged general view of the iridial angle. (When enlarged, visible with older label of 'trabecular tissue')
Latin reticulum trabeculare sclerae
Gray's subject #225 1006
MeSH Trabecular+Meshwork

The trabecular meshwork is an area of tissue in the eye located around the base of the cornea, near the ciliary body, and is responsible for draining the aqueous humor from the eye via the anterior chamber (the chamber on the front of the eye covered by the cornea).

The tissue is spongy and lined by trabeculocytes; it allows fluid to drain into a set of tubes called Schlemm's canal flowing into the blood system.

Contents

Parts

The meshwork is divided up into three parts, with characteristically different ultrastructures:

  1. Inner uveal meshwork - Closest to the anterior chamber angle, contains thin cord-like trabeculae, orientated predominantly in a radial fashion, enclosing trabeculae spaces larger than the corneoscleral meshwork.
  2. Corneoscleral meshwork - Contains a large amount of elastin, arranged as a series of thin, flat, perforated sheets arranged in a laminar pattern; considered the ciliary muscle tendon.[1]
  3. Juxtacanalicular tissue (also known as the cribriform meshwork) - Lies immediately adjacent to Schlemm's canal, composed of connective tissue ground substance full of glycoaminoglycans and glycoproteins. This thin strip of tissue is covered by a monolayer of endothelial cells.

The trabecular meshwork is assisted to a small degree in the drainage of aqueous humour by a second outflow pathway, the uveo-scleral pathway (5-10% of outflow occurs this way). The uveo-scleral pathway is increased with the use of glaucoma drugs such as prostaglandins (e.g., Xalatan, Travatan).

Role in Glaucoma

Glaucoma is thought to be caused by an increase in intraocular pressure. Pressure increases either when too much aqueous humor fluid is produced or by decreased aqueous humor outflow. The Trabecular meshwork is responsible for most of the outflow of aqueous humor.

See also

References

  1. ^ Sampaolesi R, Sampaolesi JR, Zárate G (2009). "Ocular Embryology with Special Reference to Chamber Angle Development" (chapter 8). The Glaucomas - Pediatric Glaucomas (volume 1). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 61-69. ISBN 978-3-540-69146-4. http://www.springerlink.com/content/rkp83w0822835376/

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • trabecular meshwork — n trabecular tissue that separates the angle of the anterior chamber from the canal of Schlemm and that contains the spaces of Fontana through which aqueous humor normally drains from the anterior chamber into the canal of Schlemm * * * reticulum …   Medical dictionary

  • meshwork — See network. trabecular m. SYN: trabecular tissue of sclera. * * * mesh·work mesh .wərk n NETWORK <a vascular meshwork> * * * mesh·work (meshґwərk) a network or reticulum …   Medical dictionary

  • malla trabecular — Eng. Trabecular meshwork Ver intersticios trabeculares esclerocorneales …   Diccionario de oftalmología

  • Glaucoma — Classification and external resources Acute angle closure glaucoma of the right eye. Note the mid sized pupil, which was nonreactive to light, and injection of the conjunctiva. ICD 10 …   Wikipedia

  • Glaucoma surgery — Glaucoma is a group of diseases affecting the optic nerve that results in vision loss and is frequently characterized by raised intraocular pressure (IOP). There are many glaucoma surgeries, and variations or combinations of those surgeries, that …   Wikipedia

  • MYOC — Myocilin, trabecular meshwork inducible glucocorticoid response Identifiers Symbols MYOC; GLC1A; GPOA; JOAG; JOAG1; TIGR; myocilin External IDs …   Wikipedia

  • Aqueous humour — The aqueous humor is a thick watery substance that is between the lens and the cornea.LocationsThe anterior segment is the front third of the eye that includes the structures in front of the vitreous humor: the cornea, iris, ciliary body, and… …   Wikipedia

  • Ciliary muscle — The choroid and iris. (Ciliary muscle is labeled near top.) Latin musculus ciliaris Gray s …   Wikipedia

  • trabeculoplasty — Photocoagulation of the trabecular meshwork of the eye using the laser in the treatment of glaucoma. laser t. (LTP) an operation for glaucoma in which laser energy is applied to the …   Medical dictionary

  • Glaucoma — An eye condition in which the fluid pressure inside the eyes rises because of slowed fluid drainage from the eye. Untreated, it may damage the optic nerve and other parts of the eye, causing vision loss or even blindness. Two million Americans… …   Medical dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”