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0:00
Today, I'm going to talk to you
about the conjunctiva and scarring.
I'm Professor Sir Peng Khaw, and
I'm presenting this to you, together
with Garima Sharma from
Moorfields Eye Hospital
and the University College London
Institute of Ophthalmology.
0:17
Today, we're going to do an overview
of the conjunctiva, the anatomy
and the role of this tissue.
A quick word about some of the
diseases of the conjunctiva,
and then, I'll move into
conjunctival scarring,
the different phases
of wound healing,
the mediators the scarring,
the wound-healing pathways,
how we modulate wound
healing, and then just
a brief word about future prospects
for improving the outcomes
of conjunctival scarring.
0:46
This slide shows the
anatomy and some description
about the function
of the conjunctiva.
Although the conjunctiva
is traditionally
seen just as a covering,
essentially for the eyeball
and the inside of
the eyelids, it has
several very important sections.
There's the bulbar conjunctiva,
which covers the sclera,
the palpebral, which covers the
inner lining of the eyelids,
and, of course, the fornix.
Deep between the two
are the inner reaches
of the eyelid, which
forms the junction
between the eyelid and the eyeball.
The conjunctiva is
extremely important.
Obviously, it forms
a protective layer.
It allows for lubrication
because constantly,
the eyeball and the
eyelids are moving.
And so, therefore, the elements
produced by the conjunctiva are
very, very important in terms
of lubricating and keeping the
conjunctiva and the cornea healthy.
In this diagram, you'll see
various glands which secrete
a fluid and also various important
components such as mucin, which
maintain the multiple
layers of the tear film
and therefore keep the
anterior surface of the cornea
intact, without which the vision
will be severely impaired.
It's important to note that
there's the tarsal plates, which
form the relatively stiff
backbone of the eyelids,
both upper and lower.
And within these lie the meibomian
glands, which secrete the lipid,
which form the outer layer of
the tear film, which prevent
excessive drying of the tear film
and therefore discomfort in people
who have problems with meibomian
gland secretion and inflammation.
