Ultrasonographic Characterization of Ocular Structures in Mules (Equus mulus)

Abstract

Healthy eyes with good vision were important to any animal, to safely exist in their environments, for quality of life, and to successfully compete for food. The aim of present study was to set normal values for biometric intraocular dimensions in healthy mules for the right and left eyes in males and females. The study was conducted on clinically healthy mules (n=40) which were classified into two groups; male (n=20) and female mules (n=20). Complete clinical examination and ultrasonographic characterization of ocular structures were carried out for all clinically healthy mules. Biometric intraocular dimensions of the right eye and the left eye included anterior chamber depth (ACD), axial globe length (AGL), central lens thickness (CLT), lens pole diameter (LPD) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD), were described using ocular ultrasonography. It also showed normal intraocular structures of the right eye and the left eye that included, anterior chamber (AC), cornea (C), iris (I), lens (L), optic disk (OD), optic nerve (ON), retinochoroid unit (RCU), retrobulbar fat (RF), retrobulbar muscles (RM) and vitreous body (VB). Ocular ultrasonography reported no significant variations for biometric intraocular dimensions of the eye between male and female mules as well as between right and left eyes either in male mules or in female mules. The study reported normal values for ultrasonographic biometric intraocular dimensions of the right and left eyes in clinically healthy male and female mules.