Robert M. Verdijk - Fetal and Neonatal Eye Pathology

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Fetal and neonatal eye pathology is a subspecialty that is performed only at a few university hospitals. But the evaluation of fetal eyes can provide crucial information for a postmortem diagnosis. It does require detailed knowledge of ophthalmic and developmental pathology, particularly regarding syndromes. This book aims to guide specialists to appropriately gross and examine these eyes in order to provide a correct diagnosis and interpretation of the findings. Thus, we provide reference images on fetal development; guidelines on grossing and handling of fetal eyes; case illustrations of common malformations, infections, and tumors (including findings from other specialties such as neuropathology, placental pathology, and genetics); and we address the complicated topic of artifacts. Furthermore, special emphasis is given to documentation and interpretation of cases with supposed abusive head trauma, which is of forensic importance. In the context of retinopathy of prematurity, histopathological and clinical findings are correlated.

As both authors are dedicated to ophthalmic pathology and fetal eye pathology, we wish to share our knowledge with the community and hope that this illustrated textbook is supportive for others working in this field. We are open to questions and feedback and also welcome the opportunity to give our opinion on your cases.

We would like to thank the entire laboratory team of the University Eye Department, Bonn, and the Department of Pathology of the Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, in particular our technicians for their many years of support. This book project would not have been feasible without their commitment to ocular pathology. We wish to thank Frank van der Panne, medical photographer for his aid in optimizing all images.

We also thank all colleagues who referred specimens for evaluation (in Bonn mainly Prof. Annette Mller, Pediatric Pathology, University Clinic of Cologne) for their support. Special thanks go to Karin Lffler who, with her broad knowledge and experience in eye pathology and general ophthalmology, helped to establish the investigation of fetal eyes in the Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory in Bonn. Special thanks to the predecessors in the Section of Ophthalmic Pathology at the Erasmus MC University Medical Center: Dr. Cornelia M. Mooy and the late Prof. Dr. Willem Manschot who have diagnosed, carefully documented, and archived many of the exemplary cases provided in this book.

We thank the members of the European Ophthalmic Pathology Society (EOPS) and the Verhoeff-Zimmerman Society (VZS) for their support, fruitful discussion of presented cases, and the permission to take photographs of the circulated pathology slides illustrating unique fetal ocular conditions.

Last but not least, we would like to thank our families for the continuing support of our scientific projects and professional dedication. This means a lot to us.