Index
It is known as the white part surrounding the cornea located in the eye. It makes up 80% of the ocular surface.
Its texture is a dense and complex tissue that covers the eyeball. Depending on the person can vary in the thickness, being from about 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm.
The Sclera is made up of tiny fibers of interlaced and irregular collagen. This connector fabric provides the eye with strength and flexibility.
It has a limited blood supply; it is even considered “avascular,” which means that it does not have blood vessels, although some pass through it to other ocular tissues.
The Sclera is partly nourished by the episclera, which is found in the upper part of the Sclera and is a thin tissue.
The other nutrients that the Sclera absorbs come from the vascular layer of the eye that is between the retina and the Sclera, known as the choroid.
Functioning
In conjunction with intraocular pressure, this dense tissue is responsible for maintaining the shape of the eyeball to be resistant and fibrous and provides the union needed by the muscles that control eye movement.
Conditions in the Sclera
Sclera can be affected by the following factors:
Yellow eyes: it is a condition that can appear due to liver diseases. Also, the sclerotic turns yellow due to the high bilirubin levels in the blood serum.
If someone has a yellowish tone in the eyes, you should go to the doctor and have blood tests to verify that your liver is perfect.
Blue Sclera: occurs when the tissue of the Sclera is thinner than usual, usually congenital or hereditary, such as:
- Marfan syndrome: It is a genetic disorder in the ocular connective tissue.
- Osteogenesis imperfecta: It is a disease that affects the bones, involving them so that it makes them brittle.
- Anemia: Although it is not a hereditary or congenital disease, it can generate a condition in the Sclera, dyeing it blue due to iron deficiency.
Episcleritis
It is a condition that inflames the episclera, which is above the Sclera and below the conjunctiva.
This condition is prevalent and, in most cases, benign. It can be presented in two ways:
- Nodular episcleritis: It is the reddening of the inflamed tissue, and it is generated in an area that covers the Sclera.
- Simple episcleritis: Occurs when the blood vessels of the episclera dilate without the presence of a nodule.
36% of cases associated with this disease are caused by systemic disorders produced by ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus, among others.
To solve these inconveniences that in some cases can be uncomfortable for the eye or affect vision, you must attend a specialist doctor to prescribe the appropriate medication.
Typically, positive results can be seen between the first two or three weeks of treatment once the diseases are treated.
The use of artificial tears can be recommended to refresh the Sclera.
Episcleritis is usually very painful if not treated early, and inflammation can make it difficult for the eyes to see and move for several days, causing permanent damage to the eye, such as vision loss.
Interventions that affect the Sclera
The scleral buckle is a procedure or surgical intervention performed to repair the detached retina in the eye.
This surgery is performed by placing a band of semi-hard silicone around the posterior and middle sclerotic, then sutured in the places of intervention.
The effect of this band is to push the sclerotic inside the eye, just where the retina is torn or detached. It is achieved that the retinal tissue that broke off adheres and rests on the inner ocular wall.
After the procedure, the doctor or surgeon places a cold in the eye, better known as colectomy, or sets a band of focused light to seal the retinal tissue with the ocular wall, thus repairing the retina.
