The Cornea in Normal Condition and in Groenouw’s Macular Dystrophy

one: Normal keratocytes.- I: Material and methods.- I. Material.- II. Methods.- A. Histological and histochemical techniques.- B. Culture techniques for normal keratocytes.- C. Technique for the study of the corneal architectonic.- D. Histochemical techniques.- III. Discussion.- A. Mucopolysaccharides.- B. Collagen and reticulin.- C. Lysosomes.- D. Mitochondria.- IV. Microscopy.- V. Photography.- II: Normal keratocytes in situ.- I. Introduction.- II. Personal results.- Discussion and conclusions.- III: Architectonic of the cornea.- I. Introduction.- II. Personal results.- A. Flat sections.- B. Transversal sections.- C. Study of flat sections at the polarisation microscope.- D. Study of the transversal sections at the polarisation microscope.- E. Study of the mucopolysaccharides.- F. Topo-optical study.- G. Diffraction by X-rays.- H. Examination of collagen-mucopolysaccharide complexes at the high-resolution electron micoscope.- I. Macromolecular model of the corneal stroma.- Discussion.- IV: The keratocytes in the process of cicatrisation of the corneal stroma.- I. Personal observations.- A. Transformation of the keratocytes in a wound.- B. Histochemical evolution of the keratocytes in the course of cicatrisation.- Discussion and conclusions.- V: Keratocytes in tissue culture.- I. Introduction.- II. Personal observations.- A. Examination of the primary cultures in vivo during growth.- B. Examination of the sub-cultures in vivo during growth.- C. Examination at the phase-contrast microscope of living monolayers, mounted in Ringer’s solution.- III. Histochemical study.- IV. Electron microscopy.- V. Scanning microscopy.- Discussion and conclusions.- two: Pathological keratocytes (Macular dystrophy of the cornea).- VI.- I. Definition of macular dystrophy of the cornea.- II. Clinical characteristics.- III. Heredity.- Conclusions.- VII: Microscopical and histochemical study of macular dystrophy.- Personal observations.- A. Phase-contrast microscopy of fresh sections and of sections fixed before and after dehydration.- B. Optical microscopy of histochemically stained sections.- C. Polarisation microscopy and topo-optical staining.- D. Dark-field microscopy.- Discussions and conclusions.- VIII: Transmission electron microscopy of the corneal stroma in macular dystrophy of the cornea.- Personal observations.- A. Superficial layers of the corneal stroma.- B. Keratocytes.- I. First stage of the keratocyte degeneration.- II. Second stage of the keratocyte degeneration.- III. Third stage of the keratocyte degeneration.- IV. Fourth and final stage of the keratocyte degeneration.- C. Intercellular corneal stroma.- Discussions and conclusions.- IX: Scanning electron microscopy of the corneal stroma in macular dystrophy.- Personal observations.- Conclusion.- X: Changes of the epithelium, the base membrane, the endothelium and the Descemet’s membrane in macular dystrophy of the cornea.- Personal observations.- I. Deterioration of the epithelium and the base membrane.- A. Optical microscopy and histochemistry.- a. Examination at the clear-field microscope of stained sections.- b. Phase-contrast microscopy of fresh or histochemically stained sections.- c. Polarisation microscopy of histochemically stained sections.- d. Dark-field microscopy of stained sections.- B. Electron microscopy.- C. Scanning electron microscopy.- II. Changes of the endothelium and the Descemet’s membrane.- Discussion.- Conclusion.- XI: Histochemical and microscopical study of corneal cultures from macular dystrophy.- Personal observations.- I. Development of the cultures.- II. Examination of the implantation specimen.- III. Microscopy.- A. Implanted fragment.- B. Keratocytes in monolayer.- Discussion.- Conclusions.- XII: Transmission electron microscopy of cultures of the corneal stroma in macular dystrophy.- Personal observations.- Discussion.- Conclusions.- XIII: Scanning electron microscopy of cultures of macular dystrophy of the cornea.- Personal observations.- Comparative study of normal keratocytes and keratocytes affected by macular dystrophy.- Conclusions.- XIV: Vital staining of the lysosomes in normal keratocytes and in keratocytes from macular dystrophy.- Personal observations.- I. Normal keratocytes.- Cell division.- Dynamics of the vital staining.- II. Keratocytes in macular dystrophy.- Dynamics of the vital staining in keratocytes from macular dystrophy.- Conclusions.- XV: Active biological substance present in normal keratocytes and capable of acting on the stored mucopolysaccharides in macular dystrophy of the cornea.- Personal observations.- I. Experiment.- II. Results.- Discussion and conclusions.- XVI: Pathogenesis of macular dystrophy of the cornea.- XVII: Treatment of macular dystrophy of the cornea.- Summary.- Summary.