Year: 1933
Type: article
Abstract: In the study on diseases of the eyes in cases of rat leprosy (1 report) the author found out that morbid changes of the eyes of 277 rats suffered from leprosy spontaneously are far milder than that of human leprosy and especially lepra bacilli in the cornea and internal tissues of the eye are very few in number. This fact stimulated the author to make an ex-primental study as to whether the bacilli of rat leprosy were difficult to invade the cornea and the internal tissues of the eye. In this experiment an injection of 0, 01cc. of an emulsion of rat leprcma (diluted in one twentyth) was made under the ocular conjunctiva of the left eye of 7 white young rats and observed these rats during 10-14 months. And then these rats which were killed or naturally died were examined to demonstrate the distribution of lepra bacilli in the whole body histologically, especially in the dominion of the eye, and the f ollwing results were obtained.1). Bacilli of rat leprosy which were inoculated under the ocular conjunctiva produced intensive morbid changes in the eyelid and the orbit surrounding the inoculated part after 10-14 months, but encroached rarely in the internal tissues of the eye.2). Even morbid changes were severe in late stage clinically, swelling of the eyelid, increase of exsudation, reduction of the slipt of the eye and other symptoms were merely demontrable, but without obvious turbidity of the cornea itself.In other previous papers the occurance of leprous keratitis in rat leprosy was reported. But the author could not accept this fact, stating that it should be non-leprous changes as seen in leprous rat infected spontaneously (1 Report). By this experimental study it was believed to give an another proof.3). The changes in the tissues round the eye-ball, the eyelid and glandullar tissues were very intensive and in severe cases the interior of granulated leproma-like part changed into gangrene.4). Only few lepra cells were found in the cornea intruding into its parenchymal layers. Merely in two eases of intensive morbid changes a deep intrusion of the bacilli toward the center of the cornea was perceived. The bacilli were observed like as lepra cells, but none of isolated bacilli. Resemblings findings were noticed in rats infected spontaneously and not observed in the cornea of human leprosy. An infiltration was often in the upper layer of the cornea, but a healthy zone remained at the place between the former and the under part of epithelium, which corresponded to the Bowmann's membrane.5). As for morbid changes of the sclera a part under the inoculated place was intensely invaded, and a slightly deeper invasion of the bacilli was found in some cases. But in a majority the bacilli were found in the vicinity of Schlemm's canal of deeper layer, and between it and the infiltrated part of the upper sclera only a few lepra cells were seen scatterd. Remaining part was comparatively healthy.The bacilli were seen in the ciliary body in 5 cases, among which only one case had the bacilli in the vicinity of its Schlemm's canal and others the bacilli in the canal. The bacilli, therefore, might be considered to encroach on the ciliary body from this part continuously.The superficial layer of the sclera which was closely surrounded by leprous infiltration was invaded by lepra bacilli in a certain degree, but the affection did not reach in the deep layer. In the posterior half behind the equator a penetration of lepra bacilli was seen along the surrounding tissuses of ciliary nerve and bond vessels and the bacilli reached the chorioid, which also seemed to be the way of penetration of lepra bacilli to the internal tissues of the eye. Two ways to the internal tissues of the eyeball in front and back were found for spreed of morbid changes of leprous rats inoculated artificially under the conjunctiva.
Source: Repura
Author: Mamoru Uchida
Institution: Kyushu Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2735898677