Denig's Operation for Trachomatous Pannus.

A married female, aged 34, came to the London Jewish Hospital over 22 years ago with trachoma and pannus crassus of the right eye. Treatment by the ordinary methods was unsuccessful and consequently the operation of transplanting mucous membrane of the lip on to the eye (Denig's operation), was performed. For cosmetic reasons the mucous membrane graft was placed 2 or 3 mm. above the corneal limbus so as to ensure that the upper lid would always cover it. Within a few days the eye became quiet and it had remained so until she presented herself some 6 months ago. The graft was still freely movable and in perfect union with the bulbar conjunctiva. It still remained mucous membrane of the lip, and a few large blood vessels superficial to the substantia propia of the cornea were still visible in the cornea. The preservation of a mucous membrane graft (proved histologically,) for 22 years is a record in the literature of this subject. Histology.-A section of the graft and a fragment drilled with a trephine through the whole thickness of the lid (excluding the skin surface) were sent to the Institute of Ophthalmology, where they were examined by Dr. Norman Ashton and Dr. C. H. Greer who have submitted the following report: