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The importance of radiographic examinations of pathological ocular material is stressed. Characteristic ocular radiodensities are observed with retinoblastomas, calcified cataracts, senile scleral plaques, intraocular ossification, and a variety of radiodense foreign bodies. Radiographs supplement other techniques for the documentation of ocular abnormalities and in certain instances may be the ideal method. They also permit the precise localisation of radiodense foreign bodies that need to be removed prior to the processing of tissue for microscopic examination. In certain situations valuable data can be obtained by x-ray examinations of embedded material. Retinoblastomas have an extremely high incidence of radiodensities with a characteristics appearance. This finding stresses the clinical importance of utilising and developing clinically applicable techniques for the detection of calcification in patients with suspected retinoblastomas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We performed a clinicopathological study on the eyes of a 3-year-old girl with primary hyperoxaluria type I. An examination one year before death disclosed a slightly diminished visual acuity in both eyes with black, geographic central macular, subretinal patches. Calcium oxalate was deposited predominantly in the retinal pigment epithelium of the posterior pole, where these cells were markedly hyperplastic and hypertrophied round foci of oxalate crystals. Oxalate crystals were exceedingly sparse in other ocular structures and when present were not associated with an apparent tissue reaction in these other locations. A collagenous layer was evident between parts of the retinal pigment epithelium and the neurosensory retina, which contained occasional perivascular clumps of melanin laden cells. The predominant deposition of oxalate in the retinal pigment epithelium, with the exuberant response of these cells around the crystals, gives a clue to the pathogenic mechanisms of primary hyperoxaluria. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]