Retinal Disturbances in Renal Dialysis Patients

Dr. D. Jansonius, Uranusstraat 2, Groningen (The Netherlands) (Will be published in extenso elsewhere.) A group of 34 patients undergoing chronic intermittent haemodialysis treatment, was subjected to an intensive ophthalmological follow-up, to find out whether the many years of dialysis had led to retinal changes. Fluorograms revealed lesions of the choriocapillaris and vascular sclerosis. In 14 of the 29 successful fluorograms extravasation of fluorescein were seen, which seemed to have been caused by abnormalities of Bruch’s membrane. In a pathological examination of an analogous eye of a 12-year-old Danish girl, exudates were found in the choriocapillaris, against Bruch’s membrane; these exudates may correspond with the fluorographic deviations found by us. As in 10 of the 14 patients with these disturbances glomerulonephritis had caused their bad renal function, it seems possible that, in addition to the dialysis, glomerulonephritis is a co-factor in the pathogenesis of these disturbances.