Features of diagnosis and clinical course of penetrating injuries of the posterior pole of the eye

: Outlined in the paper are the basic trends and tasks of clinical-and-social ophthalmology--research and practice related with the medical-and-social consequences of disabling visual impairments as well as of blindness and disability due to vision. They comprise: 1) A study of the epidemiological, social-and-hygienic and clinical-and-ophthalmologic aspects of blindness and disability; 2) Scientific elaboration of methodological, clinical, social and managerial positions and criteria of ophthalmologic and of medical-and-social expertise; 3) A theoretical definition of the methodological principles for medical-and-social rehabilitation of the disabled due to vision. Data are presented of the rate of blindness and disability due to ophthalmic pathologies in the Russian Federation. The modern standpoints of ophthalmologic medical-and-social expertise and rehabilitation of persons with visual lesions are elucidated.