DONATE NOWValve-Like Structures in the Eye’s Drainage System
Researchers at Glaucoma Associates of Texas, in collaboration with scientists from around the world, determined how to image tiny valve-like structures in the drainage system of the living human eye. Researchers had observed these structures in cadaver eyes for decades, but they had not been visualized in living patients until our team developed a way to image them. Our patients were a vital part of that effort.
Our team recently named these structures intracanalicular Valve-Like Structures (iVaLS). Much of the ongoing research on three continents is based on this discovery. The identification of these iVaLS and their associated links is stimulating research around the world, with many more publications to come. Understanding these valve-like structures in the drainage system of the eye may lead to a better understanding of why the eye pressure becomes abnormal in glaucoma.
The original publication, which has images from our patients, is posted for your review. The heart of the article is based on reviewing the anatomic structures from the laboratory and comparing them to the images from our patients’ eyes. For example, take a look at this image from our clinic. It is difficult to find the valve-like structure in the drainage canal (Fig. 1).
After glaucoma surgery, the drainage canal dilated, allowing more fluid to flow through it and helping lower eye pressure. This also made the structures in the drainage canal easier to see (Fig. 2). Again, the drainage canal is located between the two red arrows and is much easier to see. We compared these clinic images with laboratory images and found similarities that formed the basis for the publication.
For more information on the iVaLS, see the full article, but the above is a simple summary.