Techniques of Eye Investigation

Handling of fetal and neonatal eyes is similar (but not identical) to the handling of adult globes. Beyond differences in size and anatomical characteristics, the patient’s history is completely different. Adult eyes are usually enucleation specimens obtained for clinical reasons such as a tumor or a blind, painful eye, but fetal and neonatal eyes are generally autopsy specimens, except in cases of enucleation for suspected neoplasms such as retinoblastoma. They are investigated in the context of findings from other disciplines (such as pediatric pathology, neuropathology, or genetics) in order to provide an ophthalmopathologic diagnosis as part of a final pediatric pathological diagnosis or as part of a forensic investigation.