[Effect of lead and tetraethyl lead poisoning on the microcirculatory bed of the conjunctiva of the eye].

The ultrastructure of the bulbar conjunctiva bioptates have been studied in 12 persons suffering from lead intoxication (saturnism), 2-from tetraethyl-lead (TEL) intoxication and 3-are practically healthy persons; they make the control group. In all the patients manifested disturbances in the microcirculatory bed of the bulbar conjunctiva are revealed, the general character being identical at saturnism and TEL-intoxication. The main changes are observed in the wall of the blood microvessels: destruction of the endothelial lining up to revealing the basal membrane with adhesion of the blood formed elements and their diapedesis. This results in disorders of vascular permeability, in edema of the perivascular space and in appearance of cells and cellular detritus in it. An essential role in morphogenesis of the vascular disturbances produced by intoxication play certain rheological imparements: sludge-syndrome and microthrombosis. They produce certain distrophic changes.