Fibrinolytic properties of some optic nerve vessels.

The fibrinolytic activity of posterior ciliary arteries (PCA), dural vessels (DV), central retinal vessels (CRV), and pial plexus (PP) in 18 human eyes was studied by the fibrin-slide technique and PAS staining. Acitvity was measured on the basis of the minimal incubation time at which lysis appeared. A constant pattern of fibrinolytic activity was found. The PCA were the most active, followed by DV, CRV, and PP. With consideration of the assumed antithrombotic role of fibrinolysis, the results suggest that PCA are better protected against occlusion than CRV.