Pectinate ligament dysplasia (PLD) and glaucoma in Flat Coated Retrievers. I. Objectives, technique and results of a PLD survey

Pectinate ligament dysplasia (PLD) in dogs is a congenital ocular abnormality affecting the iridocorneal angle, the presence of which may be associated with adult-onset primary glaucoma. This paper describes the objectives, methods and results of a survey of PLD in Flat Coated Retrievers in the UK, including the technique used for gonioscopic assessment of the degree of PLD. In a random sample of 389 Flat Coated Retrievers, 34.7% were found to have a degree of PLD. In a 'target' sample of 48 Flat Coated Retrievers (close relatives of dogs from the random sample with high degrees of PLD, or dogs presented with primary glaucoma), 83.3% were found to have a degree of PLD. The percentage of animals with a degree of PLD was only 6.0% in a 'control' sample of 100 dogs from other breeds. The relationship between PLD and canine glaucoma is discussed.