[Exfoliative materials in the skin of patients with exfoliation syndrome]

The iris and the skin of the lateral canthus of patients with exfoliation syndrome were studied by light and electron microscopy. The materials were surgically obtained from 9 patients of cataract and/or glaucoma associated with exfoliation syndrome. For the control study, we prepared the iris and the skin of 6 patients without exfoliation syndrome. In all 9 cases of exfoliation syndrome, exfoliative materials were observed in the pigment epithelium of the iris. In 3 of 9 cases, exfoliative materials were found in the dermis. In 6 other cases, microfibrils and immature forms of exfoliative materials were observed, but not typical forms. Neither in the iris nor in the skin of the control cases were exfoliative materials detected. Exfoliative materials in the dermis seen in the patients with exfoliation syndrome were morphologically similar to those in the iris. This is the first report of demonstration of exfoliative materials in the skin. These observations suggest that exfoliation syndrome may be a systemic degenerative disorder of the body.