PURPOSE To use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the diameter along the course of the intraorbital optic nerve in living subjects and cadaveric specimens, and to validate measurements histologically in the same specimens. METHODS Measurements of the intraorbital optic nerve were made in 23 living human subjects and in three formalin-fixed orbits using high-resolution, surface coil M...

NERVE fibre bundles of different size aberrant ,from the optic nerve escape according to Ida Mann (1937) from the confines of the optic stalk, and become free in the orbit. They originate at an early stage (about 17 mm. length) when the nerve fibres find their way from the ganglion cells into the optic stalk. Anatomically they are a division of the main stem of the optic nerve in its orbital or...

PURPOSE To describe the arterial blood supply, capillary bed, and venous drainage of the rat optic nerve head. METHODS Ocular microvascular castings from 6 Wistar rats were prepared by injection of epoxy resin through the common carotid arteries. After polymerization, tissues were digested with 6 M KOH, and the castings washed, dried, and coated for scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS Imm...

Suppression of oxidative injury by viral-mediated transfer of the human catalase gene was tested in the optic nerves of animals with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). EAE is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder of primary central nervous system demyelination that has been frequently used as an animal model for the human disease multiple sclerosis (MS). The optic nerve is a frequent ...

Optic nerve head drusen (ONHD) is an uncommon condition, resulting from intraand extracellular mucoproteinic deposits in the optic nerve. These deposits, called “drusen bodies”, gradually enlarge and tend to calcify. Other threatening ocular conditions seem to be associated including vascular occlusions, choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) and retinal hemorrhages. The prevalence of the diseas...

Previous studies have shown that the secondary degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) occurs commonly in glaucoma. Partial optic nerve transection is considered a useful and reproducible model. Compared with other optic nerve injury models used commonly for assessing secondary degeneration, e.g. complete optic nerve transection and optic nerve crush models, the partial optic nerve transe...