In vivo imaging of embryonic development in the mouse eye by ultrasound biomicroscopy.

PURPOSE: New imaging tools now provide an unprecedented opportunity to visualize anatomic and functional development of the mouse eye. In this study, normal embryonic development of the mouse eye was studied by ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), with a focus on the formation of the retina, lens, and cornea. METHODS: The growth of 65 embryonic eyes from timed-pregnant CD-1 mice was examined at various stages of development between embryonic day (E)11.5 and E18.5, using 40-MHz UBM. RESULTS: The morphogenesis of ocular tissues including the lens, retina, and orbit were revealed from the earliest stages of development. The major axis of the CD-1 lens grows at a rate of 68 micro m/d, whereas that of the globe grows at a rate of 122 microm/d, with a concomitant exponential increase in volume. CONCLUSIONS: UBM allows noninvasive assessment of ocular morphogenesis in vivo and can be used to calculate relative growth rates of ocular structures.