This study was performed to evaluate the use of glycerol-preserved equine amniotic membrane as replacement for full-thickness corneal defects in dogs. Eighteen mixed-breed dogs were used. A perilimbal, full-thickness, 5 mm square corneal defect was created surgically, and a donor implant of equine amniotic membrane of the same size and shape sutured in place with 10-0 nylon simple interrupted sutures. Corneal edema was observed near the implant 24 h after surgery, but was absent after 1 week. Granulation tissue and corneal vascularization superficial to the implant were noticed on postoperative day 7, but were absent on day 30. Corneal vascularization persisted until the end of the experiment. There was no fluorescein retention by postoperative day 30. There was slight clearing of the corneal implant by postoperative 30, and slight pigmentation of the donor implant observed at postoperative day 180. An acute inflammatory process as well as fibroblasts were present at early postoperative stages. At postoperative day 60 there was no inflammatory cellular infiltrate, but fibroblasts and fibrosis were present. Corneal architecture was restored at the end of the experiment, with a layering of the epithelium-stroma-debris of amniotic membrane-stroma-endothelium present, and pigmentation and vascularization present in the deep layers of the cornea. Although vascularization indicated some degree of graft rejection, the clinical and histological evidence indicates that the xenologous amniotic membrane can be useful as a tectonic graft in the repair of full-thickness lesions of the cornea of dogs.

The ultrasonographic appearances of goat eyes were very similar to those of other animal species. The cornea, anterior chamber, lens, vitreous chamber, and axial globe length increased with age in the Saanen breed of goats. Knowledge of the normal appearance and ocular dimensions of goat eyes facilitates the use of ultrasonography in the evaluation of ocular disease in Saanen goats.

Feasibility of impression cytology for sampling the bulbar conjunctiva of the dog and the standardization the the proposed protocol was shown. The results allowed the recognition the the normal cytologic pattern of healthy conjunctivas in dogs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of age on endothelial morphology and morphometry in cats. The corneal endothelium was studied using a contact specular microscope. A total of 18 cats (Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758) were evaluated in this study. The subjects were divided into three groups of six cats each in function of age: G1 (1 to 3 months old), G2 (5 to 12 months old), and G3 (24 to 40 months old). The examination presented data as endothelial cell density (ECD), average cell area, corneal thickness, polymegathism, and pleomorphism. Results revealed ECD decrease in corneas of normal cats with age, as well as a corresponding increase in endothelial cell area and pleomorphism. The present work suggests that the endothelial parameters evaluated change with advancing age.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of equine renal capsule preserved in 98% glycerine to repair lamellar corneal lesions in normal dogs. For this purpose, 12 dogs, divided into six groups (n = 2), were used to evaluate the 1st to 7th day, 15th day and 30th to 60th postoperative day. In order to perform the histologic study, the clinical procedures were analyzed, while the recipient's corneas were collected. The photophobia and blepharospasm also were more intense in the 1st to 7th postoperative day, and regressed in the 15th postoperative day. Therefore, the edema and the vascular events were both more frequent in the intermediary phases and regressed in the late periods. On the other hand, the morphological evaluation demonstrated an inflamatory exudate, also in the intermediary and late periods. These results suggested that the equine renal preserved capsule could be a useful alternative tissue to repair lamellar corneal lesions in dogs.

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The objective of this study was to examine the endothelial surface morphology and to perform morphometric analysis of the corneal endothelial cells of Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) using scanning electron microscopy. Morphometric analysis with regard to polygonality, mean cell area, cell density and coefficient of variation of mean cell area was performed. Cell areas were measured using image analysis software. The normal corneal endothelium of Yacare caiman consisted of polygonal cells of uniform size and shape with interdigitations of the cell borders. Microvilli appeared as protrusions on the cellular surface. The average cell area was 270 +/- 24 microm(2) and the endothelial cell density was 3704 +/- 324 cells/mm(2). The coefficient of variation of cell area was 0.22. This study demonstrates that the Yacare caiman corneal endothelium is similar to those described in other vertebrates.

The corneal endothelium is essential for the maintenance of the corneal transparency. The aim of this study was to examine the morphology of the endothelial surface and perform morphometric analysis of the normal corneal endothelial cells of the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) using scanning electron microscopy. The present work demonstrates that the corneal endothelium of the Magellanic penguin is similar to those described in other vertebrates.