[Morphology of the anterior vitreous body membrane in congenital aniridia].

BACKGROUND

Hitherto no attention was paid to the prebasal vitreous body in children with congenital aniridia. Obviously there are, at least occasionally, two remarkable anomalies of the anterior hyaloid membrane.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Two children (one 3 years and the other 4 years old) with congenital anirida were examined in supine position at a special slitlamp in general anaesthesia. Both children were healthy besides their ocular malformation; pregnancy and delivery were unremarkable.

RESULTS

Only the younger child showed bilaterally in symmetrical fashion a thin, circular, whitish ligament between lens zonulae and anterior hyaloid membrane (zonulo-vitreal ligament). The eyes of both children exhibited a circumferential simple detachment of the anterior hyaloid membrane in the region of the ciliary body.

CONCLUSION

At least sometimes, the congenital aniridia can be associated with anomalies of the anterior hyaloid membrane: 1. Obviously the circumferential simple ciliary detachment of the anterior hyaloid membrane corresponds with the loss of physiological cilio-vitreal fibril systems. 2. The zonulo-vitreal ligament might be formed during the fetal time as a surplus connection between lens zonulae and anterior hyaloid membrane.