Architecture of the corneal stroma of the hen.

The corneal stroma architecture was studied in the adult chicken. Utilizing gross preparations, light and electron microscopic observations, the authors described the stromal lamellar arrangement. The stroma consists of two systems of lamellae: (1) a superficial or subepithelial system, formed by fan like spreading lamellae disposed in a spiral fashion localized at the superficial one fourth of the stroma and through the whole cornea, and (2) a deep system formed by an orthogonal gridwork of lamellae. Both systems are continuous.