Equine pectinate ligament descemetization is associated with age.

This study delves into the correlation between the descemetization of the pectinate ligament in horses and ocular diseases, like glaucoma and uveitis. It shows that this condition may increase with age and is not linked to glaucoma and uveitis, contrary to previous beliefs.

Research Methodology

• The researchers utilized a database from North Carolina State University Veterinary Medical Center, with data ranging between 2010 and 2021.
• A scrutiny of all equine globes in the database was done, categorizing them based on disease status: affected by glaucoma, uveitis, or other ocular conditions.
• The iridocorneal angles (ICA) in each globe were reviewed for any sign of pectinate ligament descemetization and how extensive this was. It also took into account the degrees of angle collapse and the range of cell infiltrates or proteinaceous debris.
• To ensure objectivity, each eye’s slide went through evaluation by two discrete, blinded investigators.

Research Findings

• Out of 61 horses, 66 eyes were examined in total. The researchers identified 124 sections of ICA of significant quality for review.
• The distribution of disease was as follows: 16 horses were affected by uveitis, 8 by glaucoma, 7 by both aforementioned diseases, and 30 horses by other ocular diseases. The majority of the last group suffered from ocular surface disease or neoplasia, which served as a control group.
• The highest prevalence of pectinate ligament descemetization was seen in the control group when compared to the glaucoma and uveitis groups.
• The length of descemetization showed a correlation with the age of a horse, with an approximately 13.5 μm increase annually.
• Horses affected by glaucoma and uveitis demonstrated higher levels of infiltrate scoring and angle closure scoring compared to the control group.

Conclusions

• Contrary to prior assumptions, equine pectinate ligament descemetization is not a valid histologic marker for diagnosing glaucoma. Further, it correlates directly to an increase with age.