DESCRIBED herein is a superficial layer of capillaries which occupies the peripapillary region of the retina in man and some animals. These vessels have received but scant attention in the past (Michaelson, 1954; Toussaint, Kuwabara, and Cogan, 1961; Franqois and Neetens, 1962), and then only in man. They may play an important role in some ocular disorders, and since their distribution and arrangement differ from that of the other capillaries of the retina they deserve a particular connotation. The most apt term for them would appear to be "radial peripapillary capillaries of the retina" (RPC) (Michaelson, 1954). This paper describes the RPC layer in man, rhesus monkey, cat, and pig.

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SUMMARY In a light microscopic study of the macula of 104 human eyes obtained at necropsy of patients aged 3 to 96 we found: (1) Displacement of nuclei from the outer nuclear layer into the outer plexiform layer occurred in small numbers early in life and markedly increased after age 30.(2) Displacement of nuclei from the outer nuclear layer to the layer of rods and cones was rare in early life but increased considerably after age 40. (3) Displacement of nuclei is probably secondary to shrinkage of their attached fibres and is associated with aging. (4) Displaced nuclei apparently undergo changes in size, shape, and chromatin content and may go on to necrosis. (5) Twenty-four of the 104 eyes studied had an obvious reduction in the numbers of nuclei in the outer nuclear layer and their photoreceptors in the macular zone. All were in eyes from patients over age 40. No concomitant defect was found in the subjacent pigment epithelium, Bruch's membrane, or the choriocapillaris. The loss of nuclei of the outer nuclear layer appears to be a primary retinal disorder associated with aging.We found in the macula a loss of nuclei from the outer nuclear layer (ONL) which increased with age. This loss apparently starts with displacement or migration of nuclei from the ONL into the outer plexiform layer (OPL) and into the layer of rods and cones. This observation has received little or no attention and we could not find any previous systematic study in the literature. Material and methodsOne-hundred-and-four eyes obtained at necropsy from patients aged 3 to 96 were selected for study because sections included the macular region. Fiftytwo of these eyes had sections through the fovea. Only eyes without significant inflammatory or degenerative disease or trauma were studied. Eyes with disciform degeneration or with pigment migration into the retina were excluded. The eyes were opened in the horizontal meridian so that sections included the disc and macula. They were prepared with celloidin embedding cut 14 rum thick and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The macula includes the fovea and parafoveal zone. Its outer boundary was the point where the ganglion cell layer was less than 2 cells thick. Sections were examined by light microscopy and the total numbers of displaced nuclei in the macula counted for each section. At least 3 slides of each eye were examined and the results averaged. The data were graphed ( Figs. 1 and 2). ResultsThe normal nuclei in the ONL appear uniform with a circular or slightly ovoid shape and contain many fine chromatin granules. Several layers of cone nuclei are concentrated at the fovea. Elsewhere in the macula cone nuclei are near the external limiting membrane and appear slightly larger and paler than the rod nuclei.

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25 years ago systemic lupus erythematosus was a relatively obscure entity. Much has since been published and lupus has achieved the status of a well-recognized and not uncommonly diagnosed condition. It is a multi-system disorder classified with the "collagen diseases", and its manifestations are protean. The joints, skin, kidneys, and cardiopulmonary system are most commonly affected. In addition, there may be involvement of the eye, blood, liver, spleen, bones, lymph nodes, nervous tissue, and gastrointestinal system (Dubois and Tuffanelli, I964; Larson, I96I). Though the precise aetiology is obscure, it appears that abnormal immunological processes play a part in its pathogenesis.In the present study we report the results of ocular examinations in a series of 6 I patients with systemic lupus, and contrast our findings with those of a number of earlier series. We emphasize that the concept ofa fairly high incidence ofocular manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus is no longer valid. It was based on earlier studies in which patients were, for the most part, either not treated or inadequately treated by current standards. Today's patients, treated more successfully for systemic lupus, rarely present with ocular signs or symptoms. Material and methodsThe 6I patients (51 women and Io men) were referred from the systemic lupus clinic of Bellevue Hospital, and were seen at a total of 270 visits (ranging from I to Io examinations per patient) by one ofus (P.H.) over the past IO years. The diagnosis was confirmed by positive LE-cell preparations or, in a few cases, by antinuclear antibody studies. When these patients were seen, their disease was essentially under control. The majority had received or were receiving treatment with systemic antimalarial and/or steroid preparations. Ocular examination of each patient included vwual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, ocular tension, fluorescein staining of the cornea, HRR cdlour testing, Amsler grid, and direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy. FindingsThe ocular findings are summarized in the Table (overleaf). Corneal staining without a distinctive pattern was noted in four patients. In the only patient with possible uveitis, trace flare and cells were recorded at one visit and had cleared 2 days later without treatment. A solitary cotton-wool spot was found in one eye of two patients on one visit only. The spots were not observed on previous or subsequent visits. One of these patients was hypertensive and had arteriolar narrowing; the other was normotensive. No retinal haemorrhages were seen in this series, and a single patient (non-diabetic) had one microaneurysm in one eye. Seven patients were described as having arterio-venous crossing changes; of these, four were hypertensive. Of thirteen