Deposition of Particles on Ocular Tissues and Formation of Krukenberg Spindle, Hyphema, and Hypopyon

Abstract

Eye diseases, such as Krukenberg’s spindle, hyphema, and hypopyon, are related to the deposition of specific particles such as pigmentary cells, leukocytes, and erythrocytes. These particles are circulated by the aqueous humor (AH) and tend to deposit in regions of low velocities or high resistance. In the present paper, numerical simulations are reported of the AH flow and particle transport, and the particle concentration predictions are qualitatively compared to clinical images. The particle concentration distributions provide an understanding of the likely sources of deposition and the origin of the deposited particles. Pigmentary cells are seen to concentrate in a vertical band on the corneal surface consistent with clinical observations of Krukenberg’s spindle. Leukocytes and erythrocytes are seen to collect at the bottom of the anterior chamber similar to the observations made for hypopyon and hyphema. These results confirm the potential of using numerical calculations in order to obtain a better understanding of the particle transport and deposition patterns in the anterior chamber of the eye.