Limbus (eye)

Limbus: transition from iris to sclera

Limbus ( Latin for "edge", "hem", "border"), more precisely Limbus corneae , describes the transition zone between the horny skin ( cornea ) and sclera ( sclera ) of the eyeball . This region houses stem cells for the epithelium and endothelium of the cornea and is necessary for their regular cell renewal. The peripheral parts of the cornea are supplied by fine, hairpin-shaped vessels of the limbal conjunctiva , the so-called marginal loop network . Destruction of the limbus - e.g. B. due to severe chemical burns or burns - can lead to an overgrowth of the cornea with conjunctival tissue and thus to blindness of the eye. Limbus transplantation from the healthy eye tries to preserve the function of the cornea in such cases.

The limbus is the area of the eye that provides the best access to the eye muscles during strabismus surgery ( limbus incision ).

Individual evidence

↑ Herbert Kaufmann (Ed.): Strabismus. 3rd fundamentally revised and expanded edition. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart et al. 2003, ISBN 3-13-129723-9 , p. 500 ff.

literature

Albert J. Augustin: Ophthalmology. 3rd, completely revised and expanded edition. Springer, Berlin et al. 2007, ISBN 978-3-540-30454-8 .

[1] Herbert Kaufmann (Ed.): Strabismus. 3rd fundamentally revised and expanded edition. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart et al. 2003, ISBN 3-13-129723-9 , p. 500 ff.