Early morphogenesis of persistent hyperplastic tunica vasculosa lentis and primary vitreous. A transmission electron microscopic study.

This report provides transmission electron microscopic observations on the early pathogenesis of persistent hyperplastic tunica vasculosa lentis/persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHTVL/PHPV) in affected canine fetuses at days 28-44 postcoitum. The retrolental tissue by which this anomaly is characterized consists of loosely arranged fibroblasts in a randomly oriented meshwork of collagenous fibrils. Some of these cells contain melanosomes at day 44. In one day-44 eye, cells of neuroectodermal origin (Müller cells; fibrous astrocytes) were observed. From day 37 onward, the posterior subcapsular part of the lens contains rounded, increased intercellular spaces, resembling vacuoles, which deform the shape of the lens fibers. The posterior lens capsule develops normally until day 30. From day 35 onward the capsule has an amorphous ultrastructure, as opposed to the clearly laminated ultrastructure in reference eyes at day 35. In addition, the capsule's thickness increases until day 35, and, instead of growing thicker, decreases thereafter. Based on these results, it is hypothesized that a primary metabolic disorder in the lens fibers, subsequently leading to the formation of an abnormal posterior lens capsule, constitutes the primary defect in the sequence of events leading to PHTVL/PHPV.