In vivo detection of perineural circular arterial anastomosis (circle of Zinn-Haller) in a patient with large peripapillary chorioretinal atrophy.
OBJECTIVE
In vivo visualization of perineural circular arterial anastomosis (circle of Zinn-Haller) has been considered impossible because of the arterial circle's location in the sclera. We investigated whether the circle of Zinn-Haller could be detected in a glaucoma patient who had a large area of temporal peripapillary chorioretinal atrophy.


METHODS
We performed both scanning laser Doppler flowmetry and indocyanine green angiography with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope in the same patient.


RESULTS
In the area of peripapillary atrophy, a circumferential vascular loop consistent with a portion of the circle of Zinn-Haller could be detected by the two imaging methods.


CONCLUSIONS
The circle of Zinn-Haller can be visualized in vivo because of the peripapillary atrophy.
Park
K H
KH
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Gifu University, Japan.
Tomita
G
G
Onda
E
E
Kitazawa
Y
Y
Cioffi
G A
GA
D001158:Arteries / Q000002:abnormalities; D001159:Arterio-Arterial Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001284:Atrophy; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000098:blood supply*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D007834:Lasers; D008875:Middle Aged; D019721:Ophthalmoscopes; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply*; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*
D004396:Coloring Agents; D007208:Indocyanine Green