Capillaries of human overacting extraocular muscles.

The capillaries of overacting inferior oblique muscles from children with strabismus and of dog inferior oblique muscles were ultrastructurally described. Biopsy material was used in all instances. The mean diameter of the capillary lumen was 2.03 microns for the human inferior oblique and 2.76 microns for the dog inferior oblique. Quantitative estimates of capillary basement membrane width were obtained by two different methods of measurement. The capillaries of human and dog inferior oblique muscles were compared with capillaries of human gastrocnemius muscle and of dog quadriceps muscle. The data were statistically evaluated. It was found that the mean basement membrane width of capillaries of overacting inferior oblique muscles is quite similar to that of the dog normal inferior oblique muscles, showing 2,049 A in overacting muscles and 1,976 A in normal muscles. With both methods of measurement, the mean basement membrane width of inferior oblique muscles appeared thicker than the mean basement membrane of capillaries of the leg muscles in man and in dog as well. It is suggested that the thickening of the capillary basement membrane of inferior oblique muscles represents a regional characteristic. Marked variation in the thickness of the basement membrane was encountered in all muscles.