title: Foveal shape and structure in a normal population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The shape of the human fovea presents important but still poorly characterized variations. In this study, the variability of the shape and structure of normal foveae were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a group of 110 eyes of 57 healthy adults, the shape and structure of the fovea were analyzed by automated segmentation of retinal layer on high-resolution optical coherence tomography scans. In an additional group of 10 normal eyes of 10 patients undergoing fluorescein angiography, the size of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) was correlated to foveal shape.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the thickest to the thinnest fovea, there was a structural continuum ranging from a shallow pit with continuity of the inner nuclear layer (INL) over the center (seven eyes; 6.7%), to a complete separation of inner layers overlying a flat and thinner central outer nuclear layer (ONL; eight eyes; 7.3%). Central foveal thickness correlated inversely to the degree of inner layer separation and to the surface of the FAZ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foveal structure strongly correlates with its neurovascular organization. The findings support a developmental model in which the size of the FAZ determines the extent of centrifugal migration of inner retinal layers, which counteracts in some way the centripetal packing of cone photoreceptors.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Investigation Center 503, Centre Hospitalier National des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM and Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tick
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossant
authors.forename: Itebeddine
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ghorbel
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaudric
authors.forename: José-Alain
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sahel
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chaumet-Riffaud
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paques
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002465:Cell Movement; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult