MACULAR HOLE WITH EXTENSIVE PERIPHERAL DETACHMENT OF RETINA

TWO AUTHORS described hole formation in the macular area of the retina independently of each other at about the same time—Haab,¹ in Switzerland, and Ogilvie,² in England. In this connection, it is interesting to note that in the same number of the Zeitschrift¹ in which the work of Haab appeared Kuhnt³ described the same entity; he did not designate it as hole formation, but called attention to peculiar macular changes in the retina (retinitis atrophicans sive rareficans centralis). This difference in definition may be responsible for Kuhnt's observation frequently going unnoticed, hole formation in the macula remaining linked to the names of Haab and Ogilvie. Haab's review of the previous literature revealed 3 cases (Hoffmann,⁴ Hartridge⁵ and Lawford⁶) with similar pathologic changes which probably fitted into the group of his cases; all had in common a traumatic origin and. to a greater