Surface morphology of lens fibers from eyes of normal and microphthalmic (Browman) rats

The surface features of cortical fibers from lenses of normal adult rats and microphthalmic rats of the Browman strain have been studied by scanning electron microscopy. In the normal lenses, superficial cortical fibers follow a straight course from inner to outer pole whereas the deeper cortical fibers, while straight near the poles, pursue an undulating or zig-zag course at and near the equator. Almost all of the fibers are hexagonal in cross section and all fibers throughout their entire length are bound by interdigitating processes at each corner of the hexagon to corners of two adjacent fibers. Some fibers are also affixed by a single row of ball and socket junctions located on their broad outer and inner surfaces. Lens fibers from Browman rats display both minor and major abnormalities. These included segmentation, formation of incisures and lateral protrusions, corrugation and villous-like alteration of the broad fiber surface and development of parallel ridges of broad surfaces in a basket-weave pattern.

[Clinical and morphological studies in a case of congenital glaucoma combined with an ocular-dental-digital dysplasia (author's transl)]

Clinical and morphological studies were undertaken to characterize a case of congenital glaucoma combined with an ocular-dental-digital dysplasia in a two year old patient. Light and electromicroscopic investigations of a surgically removed trabecular specimen were carried out. A trabeculotomy had been performed at this exact site 10 months prior to removal. The existence of a canal of Schlemm was demonstrated. The regular trabecular meshwork and trabecular region was replaced by fairly dense scar tissue, containing rudimentary intertrabecular spaces. Proliferating corneal endothelial cells covered the wound area up to the uveal part of the trabecular region. The morphological findings correlated well with the clinical observation of continued raised intraocular pressure despite trabeculotomy. It is concluded that, contrary to the situation in adult onset glaucoma, the strong proliferative tendency of juvenile tissue has a marked influence on the postoperative efficacy of the trabeculotomy.

Adreno-leukodystrophy with microphthalmia. A condition marked by general organ hypoplasia

A 5-6/12 year old male child who was noted to have neurological impairment at birth, eventually died with widespread neurological disease. Pathological findings were compatible with adreno-leukodystrophy, but also showed microphthalmia and diffuse organ hypoplasia. A review of the clinical and pathological characteristics of adreno-leukodystrophy of previous cases and the current case suggests that the range of the disease spectrum may well involve most organs of the body. The possibility of an inherited membrane deficit is entertained.

Primary congenital aphakia and the rubella syndrome

Four embryos from women infected by rubella virus early in pregnancy were investigated histologically. In three of the patients the serological tests were positive; in the fourth the diagnosis of rubella was based solely on the clinical picture. Three of the four embryos showed unilateral severe microphthalmia and primary congenital aphakia. In addition to this defect the right eye of one of the embryos showed a central liquefaction of the lens (cataract). Damage to the internal ear in the form of discontinuities in the epithelium of the cochlear duct were also observed (in two of the three embryos; in the fourth both internal ears were absent in the curettage material). In three of the four hearts there were cells in the myocardium with a markedly eosinophilic cytoplasm.

Developmental anomalies in the organogenesis of the eyeball. Bilateral diophthalmos

A case is described of a 4-month-old boy presenting with a bilateral microphthalmos with cyst. Detailed examination of one eye and cyst suggested that the cyst was atypical and represented an attempt at the formation of an extra eye on the same optic stalk. Such a developmental anomaly has not been described before and the term 'diophthalmos' is proposed as an appropriate name.

Astrocytoma of the optic nerve and chiasm associated with microphthalmos and orbital cyst

Images

Retinal artery tortuosity in ex-premature infants. 18-year follow-up on eyes of premature infants

Ophthalmic examinations have been performed on 52 expremature infants who had reached their late teens. These patients all weighed 1500 g or less at birth, and were born during a period of transition from liberal to restricted oxygen therapy for premature infants. Fourteen patients had some degree of retrolental fibrosis. In 4 cases there was complete, bilateral, destructive retrolental fibroplasia (RLF) with microphthalmos; and in 3 cases in which RLF was complete unilaterally, the other eye showed retinal scarring with traction of the disc in 2 patients and extreme tortuosity of the retinal arteries in the third. There were 7 patients who showed bilateral retinal scarring with distortion of the retinal architecture, 35 patients showed tortuosity of the retinal arteries, and 3 patients had normal retinas. It seems that tortuosity of the retinal arteries represents a persistence of the proliferative stage of RLF. In the present study the condition carried no ophthalmic morbidity. Myopia was associated with retrolental scarring, but not with tortuosity of the retinal arteries. Corneal curvature was normal in these patients, excluding this as the cause of the myopia of RLF.

Congenital anomalies of the retina

Review of 50 histopathologic cases and a number of clinical cases of congenital retinal anomalies has permitted classification under the following headings: 1) Coloboma-orbital cyst--"anophthalmos" group due to aberrant closure of the embryonic fissure; 2) Retinal fold-central stalk-detachment group comprising a series that varies from simple retinal folds to total retinal detachment and anomalous stalk formation. Cases of the 13-15 trisomy syndrome constitute a special subgroup in this rubric; 3) Retrolental fibroplasia, due to hyperoxia of premature infants, is manifest by "dragged" disks and gliovascular proliferation with occasional detachment; 4) Persistent hyaloid system is occasionally associated with mild anomalies of the retina; 5) Massive gliosis of the retina is usually a hamartomatous manifestation; 6) Congenital absence of ganglion cells occurs with cerebral maldevelopment and 7) Congenital absence of the photoreceptors is the congenital form of retinitis pigmentosa.

Bilateral congenital ocular defects in a foal

Images