Abstract

The effects of increased eye size on retinal cell topography and morphology were examined using experimental animal models of myopia (chick and marmoset). Retinas from experimentally enlarged eyes have significantly larger areas than control eyes. Changes in the topography of cell density and the morphological structure of dendritic arbors of cells in the inner retina are consistent with the hypothesis that the retina stretches as the eye grows. In the marmoset, experimentally enlarged eyes had higher foveal cone densities than controls suggesting that stretch is an important factor in the increasing photoreceptor packing observed during normal foveal development. The increased axial length, retinal magnification, and foveal photoreceptor packing in experimental myopia suggest that the potential for higher acuity vision exists in human myopes. Any observed limitations in the acuity in myopes may result from other causes.

© 1998 Optical Society of America