Retinal vascular patterns in domestic animals

Abstract

In this paper a morphological study of the retinal vascular patterns in various species of domestic animals is reported. A classification of these patterns into four well-defined groups is described. In the domestic ruminants, pigs and carnivores the retina contains a compact plexus of blood vessels located in the major part of the light-sensitive portion of the retina (euangiotic or holangiotic pattern). In other domestic animals blood vessels are present only in a smaller part of the retina. In the rabbit, vessels are confined to a broad horizontal band coincident with the area of dispersion of the myelinated nerve fibres. The larger of these vessels are readily visible macroscopically (merangiotic pattern). In the horse and the guinea pig the retinal blood vessels are minute and restricted to the direct neighbourhood of the optic disc (paurangiotic pattern). The avian retina is completely avascular (anangiotic pattern), but a densely vascularised pecten oculi is attached to the linear optic nerve head and protrudes far into the inferior part of the vitreous body.