Anatomy of the human corneal innervation

角膜 解剖 神经丛 环钻 角膜上皮 神经丛 间质细胞 吻合 医学 生物 病理 眼科 外科
作者
Carl F. Marfurt,Jeremiah J. Cox,Sylvia Deek,Lauren Dvorscak
出处
期刊:Experimental Eye Research [Elsevier]
卷期号:90 (4): 478-492 被引量:435
标识
DOI:10.1016/j.exer.2009.12.010
摘要

The anatomy of the human corneal innervation has been the subject of much investigation; however, a comprehensive description remains elusive. The purpose of the present study was to provide a detailed description of the human corneal innervation using a novel approach involving immunohistochemically stained anterior-cornea whole mounts. Sixteen donor corneas aged 19–78 years were cut with a 6.0 mm trephine into a central plug and two peripheral rims. Each specimen was sectioned serially on a cryostat to produce several 100 μm-thick stromal sections and a 100–140 μm-thick anterior-cornea whole mount that contained the entire corneal epithelium and much of the anterior stroma. The corneal innervation was stained with a primary antibody against beta neurotubulin and subjected to rigorous quantitative and qualitative analyses. The results showed that a mean of 71.3 ± 14.3, uniformly spaced, main stromal nerve bundles entered the cornea at the corneoscleral limbus. The bundles averaged 20.3 ± 7.0 μm in diameter, were separated by a mean spacing of 0.49 ± 0.40 mm, and entered the cornea at a mean distance of 293 ± 106 μm from the ocular surface. Each stromal bundle gave rise through repetitive branching to a moderately dense midstromal plexus and a dense subepithelial plexus (SEP). The SEP was comprised of modest numbers of straight and curvilinear nerves, most of which penetrated Bowman's membrane to supply the corneal epithelium, and a more abundant and anatomically complex population of tortuous, highly anastomotic nerves that remained largely confined in their distribution to the SEP. SEP density and anatomical complexity varied considerably among corneas and was less dense and patchier in the central cornea. A mean of 204 ± 58.5 stromal nerves penetrated Bowman's membrane to supply the central 10 mm of corneal epithelium (2.60 nerves/mm2). The density of Bowman's membrane penetrations was greater peripherally than centrally. After entering the epithelium, stromal nerves branched into groups of up to twenty subbasal nerve fibers known as epithelial leashes. Leashes in the central and intermediate cornea anastomosed extensively to form a dense, continuous subbasal nerve plexus, while leashes in the peripheral cornea demonstrated fewer anastomoses and were less complex anatomically. Viewed in its entirety, the subbasal nerve plexus formed a gentle, whorl-like assemblage of long curvilinear subbasal fibers, 1.0–8.0 mm in length, that converged on an imaginary seam or gentle spiral (vortex) approximately 2.51 ± 0.23 mm inferonasal to the corneal apex. Mean subbasal nerve fiber density near the corneal apex was 45.94 ± 5.20 mm/mm2 and mean subbasal and interconnecting nerve fiber diameters in the same region were 1.51 ± 0.74 μm and 0.69 ± 0.26 μm, respectively. Intraepithelial terminals originated exclusively as branches of subbasal nerves and terminated in all epithelial layers. Nerve terminals in the wing and squamous cell layers were morphologically diverse and ranged in total length from 9 to 780 μm. The suprabasal layers of the central corneal epithelium contained approximately 605.8 terminals/mm2. The results of this study provide a detailed, comprehensive description of human corneal nerve architecture and density that extends and refines existing accounts. An accurate, detailed model of the normal human corneal innervation may predict or help to understand the consequences of corneal nerve damage during refractive, cataract and other ocular surgeries.
最长约 10秒,即可获得该文献文件

科研通智能强力驱动
Strongly Powered by AbleSci AI
更新
大幅提高文件上传限制,最高150M (2024-4-1)

科研通是完全免费的文献互助平台,具备全网最快的应助速度,最高的求助完成率。 对每一个文献求助,科研通都将尽心尽力,给求助人一个满意的交代。
实时播报
酒醉的蝴蝶完成签到 ,获得积分10
1秒前
脑洞疼应助yyauthor采纳,获得10
1秒前
在见君完成签到,获得积分10
1秒前
ZCX完成签到,获得积分10
1秒前
星期五发布了新的文献求助10
2秒前
研友_VZG7GZ应助小明采纳,获得10
2秒前
TANG完成签到 ,获得积分10
3秒前
3秒前
4秒前
小芳儿发布了新的文献求助10
5秒前
estella完成签到,获得积分10
5秒前
Jasper应助lalala0530采纳,获得10
6秒前
小马甲应助晴天采纳,获得10
7秒前
xiaoxiao发布了新的文献求助30
8秒前
8秒前
Dr大壮发布了新的文献求助10
9秒前
嗯哼举报妖妖求助涉嫌违规
9秒前
AC赵先生发布了新的文献求助10
9秒前
HEIKU应助estella采纳,获得10
10秒前
10秒前
NexusExplorer应助xiejuan采纳,获得10
11秒前
科研儿啊完成签到 ,获得积分20
11秒前
风趣秋白完成签到,获得积分10
11秒前
大个应助huhu采纳,获得10
12秒前
lee1984612完成签到,获得积分10
12秒前
jixin完成签到 ,获得积分20
13秒前
13秒前
小明发布了新的文献求助10
14秒前
14秒前
JamesPei应助阿谭采纳,获得10
14秒前
15秒前
jixin关注了科研通微信公众号
17秒前
lalala0530完成签到,获得积分20
17秒前
科研通AI2S应助科研通管家采纳,获得10
18秒前
脑洞疼应助科研通管家采纳,获得10
18秒前
苏书白应助科研通管家采纳,获得10
18秒前
18秒前
打打应助科研通管家采纳,获得10
18秒前
bkagyin应助科研通管家采纳,获得10
18秒前
小马甲应助科研通管家采纳,获得10
18秒前
高分求助中
Evolution 10000
юрские динозавры восточного забайкалья 800
English Wealden Fossils 700
Mantiden: Faszinierende Lauerjäger Faszinierende Lauerjäger 600
Distribution Dependent Stochastic Differential Equations 500
A new species of Coccus (Homoptera: Coccoidea) from Malawi 500
A new species of Velataspis (Hemiptera Coccoidea Diaspididae) from tea in Assam 500
热门求助领域 (近24小时)
化学 医学 生物 材料科学 工程类 有机化学 生物化学 物理 内科学 纳米技术 计算机科学 化学工程 复合材料 基因 遗传学 催化作用 物理化学 免疫学 量子力学 细胞生物学
热门帖子
关注 科研通微信公众号,转发送积分 3157301
求助须知:如何正确求助?哪些是违规求助? 2808735
关于积分的说明 7878261
捐赠科研通 2467077
什么是DOI,文献DOI怎么找? 1313197
科研通“疑难数据库(出版商)”最低求助积分说明 630369
版权声明 601919