Abstract
Purpose :
To histologically examine scleral staphylomata in highly myopic eyes
Methods :
Sagittal histological sections of human globes enucleated due to malignant choroidal melanomas, or secondary angle-closure glaucoma were histomorphometrically examined
Results :
Scleral staphylomas were detected in 6 eyes with a mean length of 29.3±3.3mm. The staphylomas were characterized by a relatively abrupt thinning of the sclera to about 50% of its value in the neighborhood of the staphyloma, a mean scleral thickness of 99±48µm (range:36-167µm) in the staphyloma region, a scleral thickness of 338±101µm (range:167-476µm) in the staphyloma vicinity, a normal Bruchs membrane thickness of 4.1±1.6µm (range:3.0-7.5µm), a normal choriocapillaris thickness of 5.1±2.4µm (range:0.00-7.2µm), and a normal retinal pigment epithelium cell density of 24.9±6.6 cells/480 µm length
Conclusions :
A myopic scleral staphyloma is histologically characterized by an abrupt thinning of the sclera to less than 50% of the scleral thickness in the staphyloma vicinity, with normal values for Bruchs membrane thickness, choriocapillaris thickness and retinal pigment epithelium cell density. These data suggest that a myopic scleral staphyloma may primarily be due to a local structural weakness of the sclera leading to an outpouching of the normal Bruchs membrane with its adjacent retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillaris.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.