Full-thickness eye wall biopsy. I. An experimental approach to the tissue diagnosis and study of choroidal and retinal lesions.

A surgical approach to full-thickness eye wall biopsy is proposed as a method that may be applied to poorly understood diseases of the retina and choroid. An eye basket is sutured to the eye for stabilization, and two trephines mark an area to which diathermy is applied until penetration is achieved. The specimen is removed with fine forceps and scissors. A scleral homograft closes the defect. In ten rabbits, no eyes were lost and all ten retinas were intact. All biopsy specimens were suitable for histologic study.