THE FREQUENCY OF FIBRILLOPATHIA EPITHELIOCAPSULARIS (SO‐CALLED SENILE EXFOLIATION OR PSEUDOEXFOLIATION) IN PATIENTS WITH OPEN‐ANGLE GLAUCOMA

The purpose o f this study was to investigate the frequency o f fibrillopathia epitheliocapsularis (so-called senile exfoliation or pseudoexfoliation of the anterior lens capsule) in groups of patients representing different degrees o f severity of open-angle glaucoma. Earlier investiations of glaucoma materials have shown variations in the frequency of fibrillopathy from 0 per cent (Leydhecker 1960) to 93 per cent (Hsrven, E. 1935). A tabular survey of earlier studies can be found in another work by the present author (Aasved 1969). The reason for this great variation is not known. Among the population as a whole the author has shown that there is probably no significant geographical variation in the frequency of fibrillopathy (Aasved 1969). I t was pointed out that the results might be influenced by several factors, such as interest of the examiner, accuracy in investigation, examination conditions and the size of the materials. This applies also to glaucoma materials. In the population as a whole a definite increase in frequency was found with increasing age (Aasved 1969). That the same factor may influence the glaucoma materials was also suggested in earlier studies (Lindberg 1917, Busacca 1928, H s r v e n , E . 1935, Hsrven, I . 1966). Several authors have described familiar oc-