In an account of the removal of a cataract in a case of megalocornea by Smillie (1955), it was suggested that, since instances of such surgery are rare and the results are uncertain, further experiences should be recorded. A further two cases are therefore submitted, both involving one patient.
Megalocornea is a bilateral developmental anomaly in which the anterior segment of the globe is larger than normal. The absence of a raised intraocular pressure and its pathological sequelae is a notable feature which differentiates the condition clearly from buphthalmos. In his classical "Treatise on Glaucoma" Elliott (1922) described the condition as "a product of overgrowth, not of overstretching." The most prominent feature of megalocornea is an enlargement of the circumference of the cornea, but the changes are not limited to this tissue. Atrophy of the iris may occur, with fragility and even rupture of the zonule. Iridodonesis is seen not