Patterns of aqueous humor outflow in glaucomatous and nonglaucomatous human eyes. A tracer study using cationized ferritin
A. W. de Kater, S. Melamed and D. L. Epstein
Howe Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
We used cationized ferritin, which binds to negatively charged membrane
surfaces, as a tracer to delineate the aqueous humor outflow pathway by
perfusing it into the anterior chamber of 14 normal human eyes and five
with primary open angle glaucoma. In the normal human eyes, diffuse
labeling with cationized ferritin was evident throughout the outflow
pathway, while in the glaucomatous eyes distinctly different staining
patterns were noted. A decorating pattern similar to that seen in normal
eyes was observed, as well as apparent areas of underperfusion, suggestive
of possible segmental changes in aqueous outflow. These findings may
support the hypothesis that primary open angle glaucoma is a segmental
disease of the outflow system due to possible regional increases in
resistance to aqueous outflow.
