What are the components of the visual apparatus?
Globe – eyeball itself, housed in orbit with lots of fat around the outside, which gives body to the eyes and allows it to move and offers protection.
Adnexa – structures which surround or attach to the globe.
What is the adnexa comprised of?
Eyelids
Orbital fascia
Lacrimal apparatus
Extrinsic muscles
Nerves and blood vessels
What are the functions of the adnexa?
What are the lateral and medial canthi?
Canthi - angle where lower and upper lids meet
Medial is larger and has multiple perforations and has the lacrimal caruncle within it.
What is the lacrimal caruncle?
Raised prominence with sebaceous gland to secrete oil
What are the roles of the upper and lower lids?
Have many sebaceous gland to produce of oil, which allows tears to adhere to the surface of the eye in a film
What is the palpebral/blepharon fissure?
Space between the 2 lids
What is the orbit?
Cone shaped cavity on lateral surface of the skull. Houses eyeball and adnexa.
What is the structure of the orbit and the species differences of this?
Delimited externally by bony ring or bony ring completed by orbital ligament between the 2 processes.
Complete bony rim = sheep
Incomplete = pigs and dogs
What issues do brachycephalic dogs have with their orbits?
Brachiocephalic dogs have shallow orbits and so have eye problems when lids do not entirely close over the eyes.
Describe the structure of the orbit walls.
What are the 3 layers of orbital fascia surrounding the eyeball?
Periorbita
Superficial muscular fascia
Deep muscular fascia
Describe the structure of the periorbita.
What is the orbital septum?
Section of tissue that forms part of the eyelid and gives it structure. Within the periorbita.
What is the embryology of the eyelids?
Originate embryologically from surface ectoderm
Fused at birth in carnivores – physiological ankyloblepharon
What are the 3 layers of the eyelids?
External layer – skin
Middle layer – musculofibrous
Inner layer – mucous membrane double layer, palpebral conjunctiva on eyelid and bulbous conjunctiva on the globe surface.
Describe the structure of the musculofibrous layer of the eyelids.
Describe the structure of the conjunctiva inner layer.
Describe the structure and function of the palpebral ligaments.
Medial and lateral. Suspends eye in the socket, tethering it to each respective canthus
Only medial is well defined:
- Originates from periosteum of frontal bone
- Blends with eyelids at medial canthus
What is the structure of the 3rd eyelid?
What are the functions of the 3rd eyelid?
What is ‘cherry eye’?
Inflamed and enlarged third eyelid
What are the 4 key symptoms of Horner’s syndrome?
What are the lacrimal apparatus and their functions?
Lacrimal gland – produce tears
Lacrimal ducts – tears to the nasal cavity via the lacrimal duct (why nose runs when you cry)
Conjunctival sac – tears drain from medial canthus and into lacrimal duct
2 lacrimal puncta – drain stagnant tears
Naso-lacrimal duct – to nasal cavity