Rabbits were subjected to vascular injuries in an attempt to cause ocular ischemia and rubeosis. Occlusion of the ipsilateral common carotid artery showed fluorescein angiographic evidence of iris ischemia, but no rubeosis. Occlusion of two or more vortex veins caused iris ischemia, vasodilation, and angiographically visible neovascular capillaries on the iris. Histology confirmed the presence of thin-walled, superficial neovascular channels. The stimultaneous occlusion of the carotid artery and of two or more ipsilateral vortex veins also produced angiographic and histologic evidence of iris ischemia and neovascularization. These results confirm that venous flow impairment is a more efficient stimulus to neovascularization than ischemia due to arterial insufficiency. Nevertheless, in none of the animals could a neovascular response comparable to human rubeosis be elicited, and it is concluded that vascular lesions to the anterior segment are not an adequate model to study rubeosis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.