[Morphology of the peripheral choriocapillaris in patients of various ages (author's transl)].

A study of the choroidal vascular system in post-mortem eyes with negative histories of ocular and systemic vascular disease showed that there are progressive capillary changes with increasing age. The investigation was limited to the equatorial and peripheral choriocapillaries. Capillary changes and a patchy vascular atrophy of the capillary layer with increasing width of the intercapillary connective tissue were observed to start in the area of the ora serrata. Atrophic changes were most commonly located in the temporal zones. In contrast to the senescent changes of the capillaries, involvement of the arterioles was relatively mild; complete obliteration of an arteriole has not been observed even in atrophic capillary zones. Causal relationships of senile capillary changes could not be ascertained on a pure morphological basis. Clinical relevance has been discussed.