Aphakia is the absence of the lens of the eye, due to surgical removal, such as in cataract surgery, a perforating wound or ulcer, or congenital anomaly. It causes a loss of accommodation, high degree of farsightedness (hyperopia), and a deep anterior chamber. Complications include detachment of the vitreous or retina, and glaucoma. Babies are rarely born with aphakia. Occurrence most often results from surgery to remove congenital cataract. Congenital cataracts usually develop as a result of infection of the fetus or genetic reasons. It is often difficult to identify the exact cause of these cataracts, especially if only one eye is affected. People with aphakia have relatively small pupils and their pupils dilate to a lesser degree. Causes
Surgical removal of a lens, mainly in cataract surgery, is the most common cause of aphakia. Spontaneous traumatic absorption or congenital absence of lens matter is rare. Traumatic subluxation or dislocation of a lens may cause it. Signs and symptoms
Hypermetropia: Without the focusing power of the lens, the eye becomes very farsighted. Loss of accommodation: Since the lens and its zonules are responsible for adjusting the focus of vision to different lengths, patients with aphakia will have a total loss of accommodation. Defective vision: High degree hypermetropia and total loss of accommodation cause defective vision for both distance and near. Cyanopsia: Absence of lens cause cyanopsia or blue vision. Some individuals have said that they perceive ultraviolet light, invisible to those with a lens, as whitish blue or whitish-violet. Erythropsia: Sometimes, objects appear reddish.
Mesh-free laparoscopic suture repair is an uncomplicated approach to small Spigelian hernias combined with the benefits of a closure without the anguish and cost associated with foreign material. Eponym
Adriaan van den Spiegel, born in Brussels, was an anatomist at the University of Padua during the 17th century. In 1619 he became a professor of surgery. Spiegel was the first to described this rare hernia in 1627. The history of the Spigelian hernia became acknowledged in 1645, twenty years after Spiegels death. In 1764, almost a century later, the Flemish anatomist, Josef Klinkosch was acknowledged for recognizing and describing a hernia located in the Spigelian fascia, and coined the term Spigelian hernia. Raveenthiran syndrome
Raveenthiran described a new syndrome in which Spigelian hernia and cryptorchidism (undescended testis) occur together. Some common complications of this distinct syndrome cryptorchidism are testicular torsion, and its link to testicular cancer. References
External links
Adriaan van den Spiegel at Who Named It? Laparoscopic Repair of Spigelian Hernia Medtube