The contribution of morphology to our understanding of the pathogenesis of experimentally produced corneal vascularization.

In many disorders of the cornea, blood vessels invade this normally avascular tissue. Several theories have been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of corneal vascularization. Since none had received general acceptance, experimental studies of the phenomenon were begun several years ago in hamster cheek pouch chambers. These investigations which employed sequential morphologic studies during the process of corneal vascularization gave rise to a new hypothesis, namely, that corneal vascularization is usually a manifestation of the inflammatory response and mediated by leukocytes. This report briefly reviews the evolution, evidence, and current status of this theory.