Ultrastructural age-related changes on the posterior iris surface. A possible relationship to the pathogenesis of exfoliation.
OBJECTIVE
To verify the presence of age-related changes in the human iris and to determine whether such changes could be related to the pathogenesis of the exfoliation syndrome.


METHODS
Ultrastructural examination of the posterior surface of the normal iris in 9 enucleated eyes.


METHODS
Eyes of persons aged 1 day, 3 months, and 3, 9, 27, 52, 59, 59, and 65 years.


METHODS
The presence of aging changes in the iris.


RESULTS
Aging changes included duplication of the basal lamina of posterior iris pigment epithelial cells, formation of atrophic invaginations in the posterior cell membranes containing interlacing basal lamina, formation (or deposition) of microfibrils 11 to 13 nm in diameter, with a banding periodicity of 12 to 16 nm, deposition of electron-dense material in relation to the basal lamina and/or microfibrils, and the presence of some fine granular material overlying the basal lamina.


CONCLUSIONS
These changes have been consistently described before in association with exfoliation material, which suggests the possibility that exfoliation is an eventual aging process.
Khalil
A K
AK
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Kubota
T
T
Tawara
A
A
Inomata
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007498:Iris / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure