Trabecular meshwork

Trabecular meshwork
Enlarged general view of the iridial angle. (When enlarged, visible with older label of 'trabecular tissue')
Details
Identifiers
Latin	reticulum trabeculare
MeSH	D014129
Anatomical terminology

The trabecular meshwork is an area of tissue in the eye located around the base of the cornea, near the ciliary body, and is responsible for draining the aqueous humor from the eye via the anterior chamber (the chamber on the front of the eye covered by the cornea).

The tissue is spongy and lined by trabeculocytes; it allows fluid to drain into a set of tubes called Schlemm's canal flowing into the blood system.

Parts

The meshwork is divided up into three parts, with characteristically different ultrastructures:

1. Inner uveal meshwork - Closest to the anterior chamber angle, contains thin cord-like trabeculae, orientated predominantly in a radial fashion, enclosing trabeculae spaces larger than the corneoscleral meshwork.
2. Corneoscleral meshwork - Contains a large amount of elastin, arranged as a series of thin, flat, perforated sheets arranged in a laminar pattern.
3. Juxtacanalicular tissue (also known as the cribriform meshwork) - Lies immediately adjacent to Schlemm's canal, composed of connective tissue ground substance full of glycoaminoglycans and glycoproteins. This thin strip of tissue is covered by a monolayer of endothelial cells.

The trabecular meshwork is assisted to a small degree in the drainage of aqueous humour by a second outflow pathway, the uveo-scleral pathway (5-10% of outflow occurs this way). The uveo-scleral pathway is increased with the use of glaucoma drugs such as prostaglandins (e.g., Xalatan, Travatan).

See also

• Argon laser trabeculoplasty
• Glaucoma
• Intraocular pressure
• Ocular hypertension
• Trabeculectomy

External links

• Histology image: 08005loa – Histology Learning System at Boston University
• Template:EMedicineDictionary
• Medical illustration from National Glaucoma Research
• Diagram at glaucoma-association.com