[Etiology and final clinical cause for 1000 enucleations. (A clinico-pathologic study) (author's transl)]

From 1969-1974 1000 unselected enucleated globes have been examined histopathologically. 277 derive from the University Eye Hospital in Hamburg, 723 from various Eye Hospitals in northern and southern Germany. They originate from 589 men and 408 women, three times the sex was unknown. 86 globes had to be removed from children less than 15 years old. 6 groups of etiologies have been distinguished: trauma (308), histologically confirmed neoplastic disease (281), ocular manifestations of systemic diseases (diabetes mellitus, occlusions of central retinal vessels presumably following generalized vascular disease etc.: 128), "operative ocular disease" (164), primary inflammatory disease (71), miscellaneous (malformations, high myopia, pseudo-glioma and pseudo-melanoma: 48). The etiology "operative ocular disease" consists of 67 primary glaucomas (57 adults, 10 buphthalmus), 41 idiopathic cataracts (7 of these congenital) and 3 primary corneal dystrophies, as well as 53 cases of primary retinal detachment. Among the 281 neoplastic diseases, there are 238 primary intraocular malignant melanomas of the uvea, 18 retinoblastomas, 4 primary reticulumcellsarcomas of the retina, 2 choroidal nevi, 10 intraocular metastases and 9 orbital tumors. 16 enucleations among the 1000 enucleations have been performed for pseudo-gliomas (5 x Coats disease, 5 x persistent primary hyperplastic vitreous, 2 x retrolental fibroplasia, others 4 x). The manifestations of systemic disease are consisting of 68 central retinal vein-occlusions, 30 complications of diabetes mellitus and 10 central retinal artery occlusions as well as 20 other generalized diseases. A primary inflammatory disease led to enucleation 50 times due to an intraocular process, 5 times due to scleritis and 18 times as a consequence of keratitis (including 13 times herpes simplex). As the final clinical cause for enucleation the following categories have been elaborated: secondary glaucomas (416), clinical diagnosis of "tumor" (275), atrophy and phthisis bulbi (118), inflammation (112), acute trauma to 4 weeks after the accident (72), others (7). In conclusion the central role of rubeosis iridis leading to secondary angle closure glaucoma is emphasized. This process presents a challenge to ophthalmologic research. Finally the significance of early surgery for primary angle closure glaucomas and for complete restoration of the anterior chamber after trauma and any intraocular procedure is stressed.