Ciliary Body Band Width as an Indicator of Goniodysgenesis

Purpose To evaluate the gonioscopic signs indicative of underdevelopmentof the iridocorneal angle and thereby obtain a correct diagnosis of goniodysgenetic glaucoma. Methods We examined morphologically the iridocorneal angle of 28 enucleated human eyes, including those from premature infants as well as from older subjects. The ratio of the ciliary bodyband width to the width of the posterior limbus (the distance between the termination of Descemet's membraneand the iris root), termed the theoretic C/L ratio, was calculated by drawing on light micrographs. Data were compared for three age groups: premature infants, children, and subjects older than 9 years. We also examined clinically the appearance of the ciliary bodyband on gonioscopyin 135 eyes of 69 younger patients having primary glaucoma with open iridocorneal angles and in 94 eyes of 47 age-matched control subjects. Results The theoretic C/L ratio ±SD was 1.4% ± 2.7% in premature infants, 24.0% ± 5.4% in children, and 36.7% ± 8.0% in the older subjects. There was a statistically significant difference between each of the three groups (between premature infants and children, P Conclusion The ciliary bodyband seen on gonioscopyprovides an indicator of the development of the iridocorneal angle. An invisible or very narrow ciliary bodyband represents an underdevelopmentof the angle.