En-face analysis of the human limbal lymphatic vasculature

Christoph Palme; Sajjad Ahmad; Vito Romano; Christof Seifarth; Bryan Williams; Mohit Parekh; Stephen B Kaye; Bernhard Steger

doi:10.1016/j.exer.2020.108278

En-face analysis of the human limbal lymphatic vasculature

Exp Eye Res. 2020 Dec:201:108278. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108278. Epub 2020 Sep 28.

Authors

Christoph Palme¹, Sajjad Ahmad², Vito Romano³, Christof Seifarth¹, Bryan Williams³, Mohit Parekh⁴, Stephen B Kaye³, Bernhard Steger⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department Ophthalmology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria.
² Department of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK.
³ Department of Eye and Vision Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
⁴ Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK.
⁵ Department Ophthalmology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: Bernhard.steger@i-med.ac.at.

PMID: 32997957
DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2020.108278

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the location and morphometric characteristics of the human limbal lymphatic vasculature and its relation to the marginal corneal vascular arcades (MCA).

Methods: Ex vivo confocal microscopic (CM) imaging and immunofluorescence double staining for CD-31 and D2-40 of histological en-face sections using 12 preserved human cadaveric corneoscleral discs were performed, followed by a semi-automated morphometric analysis of the two-dimensional vascular network architecture.

Results: Ex vivo CM confirmed the presence of 2 distinct vascular networks. The haematic limbal vascular complex (HLVC) extended further into the cornea, forming typical MCAs. The lymphatic limbal vascular complex (LLVC) was peripheral from the termination of Bowman's layer and was also found to be peripheral to and deeper than the HLVC. LLVC and HLVC were significantly different with respect to vessel diameter, segment length and wall thickness.

Conclusion: The lymphatic vasculature of the human corneoscleral limbal region displays specific morphometric features that allow its differentiation from haematic vessels using CM.

Keywords: Confocal microscopy; Corneoscleral limbus; Immunofluorescence; Lymphatic vessels.

MeSH terms

Aged
Epithelium, Corneal / cytology
Female
Humans
Limbus Corneae / blood supply*
Lymphatic Vessels / diagnostic imaging*
Male
Microscopy, Confocal / methods*