Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24193350›Full record

ArticleGraefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie2014

Lens artifacts in human fetal eyes - the challenge of interpreting the histomorphology of human fetal lenses.

Martina C Herwig, Annette M Müller, Ute Klarmann-Schulz, Frank G Holz, Karin U Loeffler

Erratum issuedAbstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 82% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

  • Erratum issued
5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Martina C HerwigDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Str. 2, 53127, Bonn, Germany, martina.herwig@ukb.uni-bonn.de.
Annette M Müller
Ute Klarmann-Schulz
Frank G Holz
Karin U Loeffler
University of Bonn · DEUniversity Hospital Bonn · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEvaluation of the lens, including cataractous changes, is often of paramount importance in the classification of fetal syndromes or forensic questions. On histology, the crystalline lens is - especially in fetal and infant eyes - an organ susceptible to numerous artifacts. Thus, the aim of our study was to study various factors (including fixatives) that might have an impact on lens histomorphology.

methodsTwenty eyes from ten fetuses (formalin fixation: n = 10, glutaraldehyde fixation: n = 10), matched for gestational age and abortion (spontaneous vs. induced), were investigated macroscopically and by light microscopy. Sections were stained with routine hematoxylin & eosin (H&E), and periodic acid schiff (PAS). The age of the fetal eyes ranged from 15 to 36 weeks of gestation. Lens artifacts were analyzed and compared to fetal and adult lenses with definitive cataractous changes. In addition, 34 eyes from 27 fetuses with trisomy 21 were investigated for lens changes.

resultsAll lenses showed artifacts of varying extent, in particular globules, vacuoles, clefts, anterior/posterior capsular separation, subcapsular proteinaceous material, fragmentation of the lens capsule/epithelium, and a posterior umbilication. Glutaraldehyde-fixed lenses displayed less artifacts compared to those fixed in formalin. Slight differences in the appearance of artifacts were found dependent on the fixative (formaldehyde vs glutaraldehyde) and the kind of abortion (iatrogenous vs spontaneous). The gestational age did not have a significant influence on the type and extent of lens artifacts. The lenses from fetuses with trisomy 21 displayed similar lens artifacts with no specific findings.

conclusionsAlterations in fetal lens morphology are extremely frequent and variable. These artifacts have to be carefully taken into account when interpreting post-mortem findings. Thus, the postmortem diagnosis of a fetal cataract should be made with great caution, and should include, in adherence to our proposed diagnostic flow diagram, the macroscopic lens assessment. Reference slides with a proven cataract are recommended for comparison in equivocal cases.

Indexed as

ArtifactsHistocytological Preparation TechniquesDown SyndromeFetusFixativesGestational AgeHumansLens, CrystallineFixatives

Identifiers

PMID24193350
OpenAlexW2073396237

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.