silver wire appearance

A term referring to the fundoscopic appearance of blood vessels in grade III-IV arteriosclerotic retinopathy, in which the arterial wall becomes so completely opaque that the blood column is not seen and the central light reflex occupies all of the width of the arteriole. The light is completely reflected, yielding a white ‘line,’ likened to a silver wire, regardless of whether the lumen is occluded; arterial patency is determined by fluorescein angiography

silver wire appearance

Ophthalmology A descriptor for the funduscopic appearance of grade IV arteriosclerotic retinopathy, in which the arterial wall becomes so completely opaque that the blood column is not seen and light is completely reflected, yielding a white 'line,' likened to an SW, regardless of whether the lumen is occluded; arterial patency is determined by fluorescein angiography. Cf Copper wire appearance.