[Incidence of the pseudo-exfoliation syndrome in enucleated eyes]

A total of 455 enucleated globes were examined for a pseudoexfoliation syndrome. The typical alterations could be diagnosed most clearly from the ciliary processes. The diagnosis is frequently missed in first examinations of routine sections. Among 323 nonselected eyes with secondary glaucoma, which had to be enucleated following painful amaurosis, pseudoexfoliation syndrome was found in 3.4%. On the other hand, in 132 eyes with intraocular tumors it was found only once. Our examinations provide indications that pseudoexfoliation syndrome possibly causes an unusually high incidence of deleterious secondary changes which render enucleation necessary.