PURPOSE: Histopathologic study of conjunctival biopsy specimens in patients with or without exfoliation syndrome and mature cataract to reveal the presence of exfoliative material. MATERIAL AND METHOD: There were studied a group of patients with different ages who needed surgical cataract extraction; all patients were examined preoperative for the presence of exfoliation syndrome. The conjunctival biopsy specimens were obtained at the end of cataract surgical procedure in eyes both with exfoliation syndrome and in fellow eyes without clinical evidence of the disease. RESULTS: It has been recorded the presence of the exfoliative material in eyes both with exfoliation syndrome and in fellow eyes without clinical evidence of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctiva appears to be an independent source of exfoliation material with early detection in preclinical stage of exfoliation syndrome in fellow eyes that appeared to be clinically unaffected.
PURPOSE: Histopathologic study of conjunctival biopsy specimens in patients with or without exfoliation syndrome and mature cataract to reveal the presence of exfoliative material. MATERIAL AND METHOD: There were studied a group of patients with different ages who needed surgical cataract extraction; all patients were examined preoperative for the presence of exfoliation syndrome. The conjunctival biopsy specimens were obtained at the end of cataract surgical procedure in eyes both with exfoliation syndrome and in fellow eyes without clinical evidence of the disease. RESULTS: It has been recorded the presence of the exfoliative material in eyes both with exfoliation syndrome and in fellow eyes without clinical evidence of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctiva appears to be an independent source of exfoliation material with early detection in preclinical stage of exfoliation syndrome in fellow eyes that appeared to be clinically unaffected.