December 2002
Volume 43, Issue 13
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ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   December 2002
Free Convection In Aqueous Humor And The Krukenberg Spindle: Theoretical Analysis
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • VH Barocas
    Biomedical Engineering Univ of Minnesota Minneapolis MN
  • JJ Heys
    Department of Applied Mathematics University of Colorado Boulder CO
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   V.H. Barocas, None; J.J. Heys, None. Grant Identification: Whitaker Foundation Bioengineering Research Grant
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science December 2002, Vol.43, 3285. doi:
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      VH Barocas, JJ Heys; Free Convection In Aqueous Humor And The Krukenberg Spindle: Theoretical Analysis . Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2002;43(13):3285.

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Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To assess whether free convection in the aqueous humor could be a feasible explanation for the characteristic spindle-shaped pigment deposits (Krukenberg spindle) on the posterior cornea in some pigment dispersion syndrome patients. Methods: A three-dimensional steady-state static-eye computer simulation of flow and heat transport in the aqueous humor was developed. The iris and lens were assumed to be at a uniform 37°C temperature, and the anterior cornea surface was assumed to be at a uniform 34°C temperature. Heat transport across the cornea was assumed to be entirely by passive conduction. Once a flow field had been determined, simulated pigment granules were then released from various locations on the pupil margin and tracked. Location of the tracks was recorded, as was the distribution of particle locations (i.e., how much time was spent in different locations). Results: The temperature gradient across the anterior chamber creates a sufficient density gradient to drive a recirculating flow that rises along the anterior iris/lens and descends along the posterior cornea. This recirculation causes a slight skewing of the temperature profile within the anterior chamber but only a small change in the rate of heat transfer from the iris to the cornea. Particle tracks showed a pronounced vertical component, and particle position distributions tended to be vertical ellipses. Conclusion: Free convection within the anterior chamber is physically reasonable and is consistent with the characteristic shape of the Krukenberg spindle. Other motions of the eye, including saccades, miosis, and accommodation, would need to be considered in a detailed analysis of the flow, but spindle generation appears to be capturable by a simple model.

Keywords: 364 computational modeling • 324 aqueous 
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