A Case of Primary Congenital Glaucoma in Fischer344 Rat

Abstract

A 15-week-old, male Fischer344 rat clinically had bilateral buphthalmos. Grossly, both globes were enlarged showing protrusion of the cornea with an increase in anterior chamber depth. Histologically, similar findings were observed in both globes. The cornea and sclera were slightly thinned. The iris was displaced forward, resulting in sealing of filtration angle. The root of the iris was partly connected with the corneal endothelium, in which the Descemet’s membrane was lost. The trabecular meshwork was hypoplastic and covered completely with the deformed iris tissue. Neither inflammatory reaction nor fibrosis was detected in the affected angle and anterior uvea. The ciliary body was hypoplastic and dysplastic. The retina, particularly the inner layers, was atrophic and degenerative. The optic disc was deeply cupped and the optic nerve fibers were degenerated. These findings led us to diagnose the present case as primary congenital glaucoma in the rat.