[Echography of the vitreous body in case of aphakia and malignant aphakic glaucoma (author's transl)].

The senile destructions of the vitreous body which can be seen with the slit-lamp (formation of visible fibres, vacuoles and posterior vitreous detachment) cause, if sufficiently advanced, small echoblips visible at echographic examination. We reexamined aphakic patients who had no complications during cataract cryo-extraction. In aphakic eyes without postoperative vitreous prolapse into the anterior chamber the echograms usually consisted of uninterrupted series of small amplitude echoes in the vitreous area. In aphakic eyes with postoperative vitreous prolapse into the anterior chamber echo-free parts were found in the vitreous area and also parts showing closer placing of vitreous echoes. The echo-free parts may represent fluid-filled vacuoles. In malignant aphakic glaucomas, which could not be controlled otherwise, we succeeded inaspirating aqueous humour from these echo-free parts by punction. Echography facilitated, in this way, the punction of the trapped aqueous. Echography of the senile vitreous destructions approaches the limits of present ultrasonographic facilities; artefacts may occur, and technical improvements are desirable and possible.