[Siderosis of the lens (author's transl)]

Incipient siderosis of the lens is reflected by an extremely fine granular, almost homogenous closely subcapsular brown discoloration between the anterior capsule of the lens and the epithelium. Advanced siderosis of the lens leads to subcapsular "rust spots" of varying size, especially in the region below the pupil; to increasing permeability cataract with protein breakdown and also to brown discoloration of the developing hollow spaces and clefts containing protein. In extensive siderosis of the lens, there was the following histological evidence of iron infiltration colour reactions: Between epithelium and capsule: (fusiformly) changed epithelia, intercellular substance formed by metaplasia of epithelia with connective tissue fibrillae (birefractive capsular cataract), in large, balloon-like epithelial cells freely occurring in the liquefied capsule, by decomposition of these cells in all fluid cavities containing protein (water clefts, etc.). On the other hand, there were no siderous granulations of protein: in normal epithelial cells of the lens, in unchanged fibres of the lens, in Wedl's cells and in Morgagni's or myelin droplets.