Abstract
1) Keratitis leprosa and other eye symptoms appear earlier in an infiltrating form of the face than nodu.ated type.
2) Examning 1198 eyeballs of 599 cases of C type in the Zensei Hospital, keratitis leprosa are classified into five groups in the following percentage: Pannus leprosus 43.33% Keratitis punktata superficialis leprosa 16.44% Keratitis parenchymatosa leprosa 16.28% Leproma corneae 0.92% Keratitis superficialis diffusa leprosa 0.67%
3) These changes are seen only in C type.
4) Besides the five forms of keratitis above mentioned, another form is newly found by the author and named keratitis punktata superficialis prominentia leprosa. In the cornea there is seen a small leprous infiltration, which perforates the Bowman's membrane, resulting an elevation of corneal epithelium.
5) Clinically, corneal opacity is difficult to be wiped off even a remarkable diminution of the infiltration in the face and extremities. Chaulmoograoil may help to diminish leprabacilli from the cornea, but owing to leprous lipoid which causes no disturbance by other organs, the transparency of the cornea is injured for long.
6) Leprabacilli first enter into the corneal corpuscles and an infiltration of the cornea spreads gradually. The corneal corpuscle is simillar to the end or perithelium of blood vessel, which does not seen to be the origin of leprous foamy cell. Then other histiocytes in- or outside of the cornea are to become vacuole cells. But the quetion as to whether the corneal corpuscle becomes vacuole cell or not is difficult to be solved.
7) Microscopical sections of the cornea stained by sudan III and other leprosy manifestation of the eye are recognized to show valuablly many leprous changes.
8) The author reports one case of N type with keratitis e lagophthalmo, which changed into a leprom with many bacilli as the first mark of C manifestation. This case of N type became C type with tattoo, in which lately leprous symptom appeared. He explained that histiocytes which phagocyted tattoo pigment also could easily phagocyte leprabcilli. This explanation can be applied in the author's case.
