Orbital adipose tissue

Abstract

We summarized the results of Russian and foreign researches elucidating embryogenesis, topography and anatomy of different orbital fat pads. It is interesting that adipose tissue from different surgical adipose spaces do not stem from the same germ layers. The medial fat pad continued by the central part of orbital adipose tissue between extraocular muscles stems from the neuroectoderm of neural crest, in contrast to the adipose tissue of other depots forming of the mesoderm. Morphological, functional and topographic features of the orbital adipose tissue forming during embryogenesis influence to the further eyeball development. This article focuses on the found correlations between morphological features of the orbital adipose tissue and various eye diseases caused by autoimmune and other factors. The data reviewed in this article confirm the involvement of retroorbital adipose tissue in pathological process not only in Grave’s ophthalmopathy, but also in abnormal refraction, glaucoma, hereditary and acquired retinal dystrophies. This article also covers the features of orbital adipose tissue in acquired ptosis of upper eye lid. Nevertheless, due to the lack of studies of the orbital adipose tissue it seems to be impossible to explain all of the found evidences and determine the role of adipose tissue in pathogenesis of eye diseases. The further interdisciplinary investigations of this unique adipose depot are required.

Keywords

• orbital fat
• orbital cellular tissue
• grave’s ophthalmopathy
• myopia
• hyperopia
• upper eyelid ptosis