Reactions to an anterior chamber lens--two years after implantation

For two and a half years this 99-year-old man had done well with his anterior chamber lens of the Choyce type. He donated the eye for pathological evaluation after his death. The eye exhibited some superior corneal edema, distortion of the lower iris with formation of pockets to hold the inferior feet of the implant, some iris atrophy, slight iritis, minimal bleeding, slight neovascularization, and vacuolic degeneration of the pigment epithelium. The observation of a callus-like formation of connective tissue on all those parts of the iris surface that have had contact with the lens implant is the most important finding. This indicates that the iris can not only adjust to the foreign substance of the implant, but it can also give it firm and lasting support. The authors suspect a mild stage of cystoid macular edema with fibrinous exudation into vitreous and preretinal spaces to be present in this case.