Diseases and injuries of the eye : their medical and surgical treatment / by George Lawson.

  • George Lawson
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases and injuries of the eye : their medical and surgical treatment / by George Lawson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    44/444 (page 26)
    was first sngsjested and practised hj Desmarres. I have tried it myself on many occasions, and much prefer this operation to excision of the growth. The operation may be IDerformed as follows :—The lids having been separated by the spring speculum, the extremity of the f)teryginm is to be seized with a pair of forceps close to the cornea, and its union with that structure carefully parted by a few snips with a pair of fine scissors. One cut is then to be made with the scissors throiigh the conjunctiva along the upper, and another along the lower, border of the ptery- gium. At the point of the lower free cut edge of the conjunctiva, to which it is desired to f)lant the apes of the growth, a small nick is to be made with the scissors, and into this the cone of the pterygium is to be fixed by a single fine thread suture. The jDterjrgium, now separated completely from the coi-nea and implanted into the conjunctiva, generally wastes, and becomes so shrunken that it ceases to draw attention to the eye. Such has been the result in the cases in which I have performed this o]3eration. The great advantage which transplantation offers over exci- sion of the pterygium is, that as there is no removal of a liortiou of the conjunctiva, there is afterwards no dense cicatrix to cause a drawing in of the eye, or to limit its movements outwards. Pinguecula is a term applied to a small yellowish patch which is frequently seen on the eye near the margin of the cornea, and is apparently in the substance of the con- junctiva. In a specimen examined by Desmarres the growth was found to be composed exclusively of hyper- trophied conjunctival eiiithelium. It creates annoyance sometimes from its being a little conspicuous, but it'is perfectly innocuous. If its jDresence worries the patient, it may be removed by seizing hold of it with forceps, and snipping it off with a pair of fine scissors. Dermoid Tumours generally spring from the margin of the cornea and the adjacent sclerotic. They are usually smooth light-coloured growths, covered with conjunctiva and with a few hairs sprouting froni their surface. They are congenital, and consist of elastic and connective tissue and fat. Treatment.—The only way to get rid of these tumours is by excision. Whilst operating care must be taken not