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Dimensions of the ciliary muscles of Brücke, Müller and Iwanoff and their associations with axial length and glaucoma

  • Glaucoma
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

To assess the dimensions of Brücke’s muscle, as the longitudinal portion, and of Müller’s muscle and Iwanoff’s muscle combined as circular and radial/reticular portions of the ciliary muscle.

Methods

The histomorphometric study included human globes that had been enucleated due to an ocular tumor or end-stage glaucoma. After immunohistochemical staining of the ciliary muscles, the histology slides were examined under a light microscope applying a digitized image analysis system.

Results

The study included 55 globes [axial length 25.6 ± 3.0 mm (range 21.0 mm–36.0 mm)] from 55 patients [mean age, 33.7 ± 18.3 years (range:1–66 years)]. Length of Brücke’s muscle (mean 3.40 ± 0.76 mm) increased with longer axial length (P < 0.001; regression coefficient beta: 0.52) and was not significantly associated with age (P = 0.12), presence of glaucoma (P = 0.11) or Brücke’s muscle thickness at the scleral spur (P = 0.32), at the site of the maximum thickness of the ciliary body (P = 0.84) or at the posterior end of Müller’s/Iwanoff’s muscle (P = 0.66), or with thickness (P = 0.29) and cross-sectional area (P = 0.85) of Müller’s/Iwanoff’s muscle. Mean distance between Brücke’s muscle end and the ora serrata measured 1.73 ± 1.13 mm and increased with longer axial length (P < 0.001; beta: 0.46). Distance from the scleral spur to the ora serrata (mean: 4.94 ± 1.42 mm; range: 3.08–9.09 mm) increased with longer axial length (P < 0.001; beta: 0.61). Maximal thickness (mean: 245 ± 125 μm) and cross-section area (mean: 0.19 ± 0.11 mm2) of Müller’s/Iwanoff’s muscle decreased significantly with the diagnosis of glaucoma (P = 0.02;beta:-0.38) and longer axial length (P = 0.03; beta: -0.35).

Conclusions

Length of Brücke’s muscle increased with axial length of the globe, while its cross-sectional area was independent of axial length. Müller’s/Iwanoff’s muscle decreased in cross-sectional area with longer axis, and in particular with the presence of glaucoma, while the dimensions of Brücke’s muscle were not related to glaucoma.

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Author notes

  1. Ying Mao and Hai Xia Bai contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing, China

    Ying Mao, Hai Xia Bai, Bin Li, Xiao Lin Xu, Fei Gao, Zhi Bao Zhang & Jost B. Jonas

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany

    Jost B. Jonas

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  1. Ying Mao
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  2. Hai Xia Bai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jost B. Jonas.

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Competing interests

Jost B. Jonas: Patent holder with Biocompatibles UK Ltd. (Franham, Surrey, UK) (Title: Treatment of eye diseases using encapsulated cells encoding and secreting neuroprotective factor and / or anti-angiogenic factor; Patent number: 20120263794), and Patent application with University of Heidelberg (Heidelberg, Germany) (Title: Agents for use in the therapeutic or prophylactic treatment of myopia or hyperopia; European Patent Number: 3070101). This does not alter our adherence to the journal’s policies on sharing data and materials. All other authors: None.

Ethical approval

According to the Declaration of Helsinki, the study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Beijing Tongren Hospital, waiving the necessity of a written informed consent by the patients since the eyes had been enucleated up to 50 years before the study was started.

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Mao, Y., Bai, H.X., Li, B. et al. Dimensions of the ciliary muscles of Brücke, Müller and Iwanoff and their associations with axial length and glaucoma. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 256, 2165–2171 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-018-4085-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-018-4085-7

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