The meaning of vascularization in ulcerative processes in the cornea in pets

Abstract

Evaluation of the role of corneal neovascularization is very important due to a large number of diseases and various effects of exogenous and endogenous factors inducing angiogenesis. Despite the large number of keratopathies accompanied by angiogenesis, ulcerative processes remain the most common cause of vascular growth in stroma. The variety of symptoms accompanying corneal ulcer, as well as the difference in both volume and depth of the corneal lesion dictates the need to assess the value of vascularization in ulcerative lesions of the cornea in small domestic animals. The objects of the study were 317 animals, including 157 cats and 160 dogs. The animals were admitted to the Department of Diseases of small pets of the Department of Veterinary Surgery of Moscow State Academy of Veterinarian medicine and Biotechnology – MVA named after K.I. Skryabin. All animals underwent ophthalmological examination with magnifying glass, a slit lamp, and corneal staining with sodium fluorescein to detect the diameter and depth of the defect. Ulcerative keratitis or corneal ulcer was diagnosed. The severity of the disease and its courses were established to realize the purpose of the study. The symptoms of corneal ulcers were different, including: blepharospasm, mucous, mucopurulent or purulent discharge from the conjunctival cavity, edema and hyperemia of the conjunctiva, infiltration by leukocytes at the site of the ulcer, the diameter of the lesion was from ¼ of the area of the cornea to total, the depth from damage to the multilayer squamous epithelium to a perforated ulcer, myosis, hypopion were observed from the uveal tract or a hyphae. In most cases, vascularization accompanied ulcerative processes in the cornea. It was superficial or mixed. Assessing the role of vascularization in the development of ulcerative processes in the cornea, we attach the great importance to barrier the pathological focus, preserve the integrity of the eye, as well as predict the outcome of the ulcerative process.