The basement membrane exfoliation syndrome
R. C. Eagle Jr, R. L. Font and B. S. Fine
Previous observations suggest that "pseudoexfoliation of the lens capsule"
may be a disease in which cells produce abnormal basement membrane
material. Electron microscopic studies indicate that exfoliative material
can be produced by cells throughout the anterior segment of the eye. This
report describes abundant exfoliative material on the ciliary and iridic
epithelia but not on the surface of the lens whose epithelial cells were
completely necrotic. Exfoliative material also was observed in the anterior
iridic stroma close to a newly formed abnormal endothelial basement
membrane, suggesting that exfoliative material may be produced locally
within the iris. Furthermore, typical exfoliative material, best considered
a filamentous, banded basement membrane with 500-A periodicity, in the wall
of a short posterior ciliary artery in the orbit indicates that the
exfoliative process is not solely limited to ocular tissues. The term
"basement membrane exfoliation syndrome" is proposed for this entity.
