From post-war reconstruction to the twenty-first century – ophthalmic pathology in Freiburg 1945–2015: review of 39,256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large German tertiary eye care centre
Abstract Background Ophthalmic pathology at the Eye Center at Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany, looks back on a tradition of more than 150 years. Surgical specimens and associated histological diagnoses have been archived since 1945. This study is the first of its size to include 39,2...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | BMC Ophthalmology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-025-04056-1 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849312151996465152 |
|---|---|
| author | Mateusz Glegola Tabea Schulz Simone Nuessle Daniel Boehringer Julia Stifter Thomas Englbrecht Thomas Reinhard Johannes Haedrich Claudia Auw-Haedrich |
| author_facet | Mateusz Glegola Tabea Schulz Simone Nuessle Daniel Boehringer Julia Stifter Thomas Englbrecht Thomas Reinhard Johannes Haedrich Claudia Auw-Haedrich |
| author_sort | Mateusz Glegola |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Ophthalmic pathology at the Eye Center at Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany, looks back on a tradition of more than 150 years. Surgical specimens and associated histological diagnoses have been archived since 1945. This study is the first of its size to include 39,256 specimens examined in a single ophthalmic pathology laboratory over 71 years. Methods We retrospectively studied ophthalmic pathology reports and clinical records of histological specimens archived between 1945 and 2015 and compared our results with 22 studies from the literature. Samples were grouped by localisation and histopathological diagnoses assigned to various categories. Both were coded and entered into a database together with the year of surgery, patient sex and age at excision. Results The patients’ age at surgery was documented in 38,845 cases (99%), of which 19,601 were female (50.5%) and 19,244 were male patients (49.5%). The bimodal frequency distribution of specimens by patient age has a similar shape to that recorded 1941–1995 for Atlanta, USA and 1959–2021 for the Swedish population. Most specimens originated from the eyelid (50%), followed by cornea (16%), conjunctiva (14%), eyeball (9.1%), temporal artery (3.9%) and other locations (6.7%) comprising 16 less frequent topographies. The proportion of eyelid (corneal, conjunctival) lesions significantly increased fourfold (fivefold, twofold) during our study period (each p < .001); that of enucleations and temporal artery biopsies decreased significantly 38- and 3.6-fold (each p < .001). Concurrently, the numbers of eyelid, corneal, conjunctival and temporal artery specimens have significantly grown (each p < .001). Annual sample numbers increased significantly across the various medical directors’ tenures (1945–1967: median = 78; 1968–1987: median = 454; 1988–2002: median = 670; 2003–2015: median = 1,445) (p < .001). Conclusions Historical events, general population developments and new surgical techniques and treatment options caused changes in the occurrence of various ocular and periocular specimens. Our study data contribute to providing an overall picture of the nature and relative frequency of ocular conditions leading to surgical excision of specimens with subsequent histopathological examination. A continuous sharp increase in case numbers since 1987 clearly exceeds the demographic trend emphasising the ever-growing importance of the sub-speciality of ophthalmic pathology. Ideally, histopathological assessments should be conducted by experienced ophthalmologists with surgical and pathology expertise, or by experienced pathologists with ophthalmology expertise, to ensure optimal patient care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-139940d9338e4d989f6b0edda9bc7bc7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2415 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Ophthalmology |
| spelling | doaj-art-139940d9338e4d989f6b0edda9bc7bc72025-08-20T03:53:11ZengBMCBMC Ophthalmology1471-24152025-05-0125114210.1186/s12886-025-04056-1From post-war reconstruction to the twenty-first century – ophthalmic pathology in Freiburg 1945–2015: review of 39,256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large German tertiary eye care centreMateusz Glegola0Tabea Schulz1Simone Nuessle2Daniel Boehringer3Julia Stifter4Thomas Englbrecht5Thomas Reinhard6Johannes Haedrich7Claudia Auw-Haedrich8Eye Center at Medical Center, University of FreiburgEye Center at Medical Center, University of FreiburgEye Center at Medical Center, University of FreiburgEye Center at Medical Center, University of FreiburgEye Center at Medical Center, University of FreiburgEye Center at Medical Center, University of FreiburgEye Center at Medical Center, University of FreiburgEye Hospital, University Hospital of BaselEye Hospital, University Hospital of BaselAbstract Background Ophthalmic pathology at the Eye Center at Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany, looks back on a tradition of more than 150 years. Surgical specimens and associated histological diagnoses have been archived since 1945. This study is the first of its size to include 39,256 specimens examined in a single ophthalmic pathology laboratory over 71 years. Methods We retrospectively studied ophthalmic pathology reports and clinical records of histological specimens archived between 1945 and 2015 and compared our results with 22 studies from the literature. Samples were grouped by localisation and histopathological diagnoses assigned to various categories. Both were coded and entered into a database together with the year of surgery, patient sex and age at excision. Results The patients’ age at surgery was documented in 38,845 cases (99%), of which 19,601 were female (50.5%) and 19,244 were male patients (49.5%). The bimodal frequency distribution of specimens by patient age has a similar shape to that recorded 1941–1995 for Atlanta, USA and 1959–2021 for the Swedish population. Most specimens originated from the eyelid (50%), followed by cornea (16%), conjunctiva (14%), eyeball (9.1%), temporal artery (3.9%) and other locations (6.7%) comprising 16 less frequent topographies. The proportion of eyelid (corneal, conjunctival) lesions significantly increased fourfold (fivefold, twofold) during our study period (each p < .001); that of enucleations and temporal artery biopsies decreased significantly 38- and 3.6-fold (each p < .001). Concurrently, the numbers of eyelid, corneal, conjunctival and temporal artery specimens have significantly grown (each p < .001). Annual sample numbers increased significantly across the various medical directors’ tenures (1945–1967: median = 78; 1968–1987: median = 454; 1988–2002: median = 670; 2003–2015: median = 1,445) (p < .001). Conclusions Historical events, general population developments and new surgical techniques and treatment options caused changes in the occurrence of various ocular and periocular specimens. Our study data contribute to providing an overall picture of the nature and relative frequency of ocular conditions leading to surgical excision of specimens with subsequent histopathological examination. A continuous sharp increase in case numbers since 1987 clearly exceeds the demographic trend emphasising the ever-growing importance of the sub-speciality of ophthalmic pathology. Ideally, histopathological assessments should be conducted by experienced ophthalmologists with surgical and pathology expertise, or by experienced pathologists with ophthalmology expertise, to ensure optimal patient care.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-025-04056-1Ophthalmic pathologyEyelidCorneaConjunctivaEyeballTemporal artery |
| spellingShingle | Mateusz Glegola Tabea Schulz Simone Nuessle Daniel Boehringer Julia Stifter Thomas Englbrecht Thomas Reinhard Johannes Haedrich Claudia Auw-Haedrich From post-war reconstruction to the twenty-first century – ophthalmic pathology in Freiburg 1945–2015: review of 39,256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large German tertiary eye care centre BMC Ophthalmology Ophthalmic pathology Eyelid Cornea Conjunctiva Eyeball Temporal artery |
| title | From post-war reconstruction to the twenty-first century – ophthalmic pathology in Freiburg 1945–2015: review of 39,256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large German tertiary eye care centre |
| title_full | From post-war reconstruction to the twenty-first century – ophthalmic pathology in Freiburg 1945–2015: review of 39,256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large German tertiary eye care centre |
| title_fullStr | From post-war reconstruction to the twenty-first century – ophthalmic pathology in Freiburg 1945–2015: review of 39,256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large German tertiary eye care centre |
| title_full_unstemmed | From post-war reconstruction to the twenty-first century – ophthalmic pathology in Freiburg 1945–2015: review of 39,256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large German tertiary eye care centre |
| title_short | From post-war reconstruction to the twenty-first century – ophthalmic pathology in Freiburg 1945–2015: review of 39,256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large German tertiary eye care centre |
| title_sort | from post war reconstruction to the twenty first century ophthalmic pathology in freiburg 1945 2015 review of 39 256 surgical specimens from various topographical regions collected over 71 years at a large german tertiary eye care centre |
| topic | Ophthalmic pathology Eyelid Cornea Conjunctiva Eyeball Temporal artery |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-025-04056-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mateuszglegola frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre AT tabeaschulz frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre AT simonenuessle frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre AT danielboehringer frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre AT juliastifter frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre AT thomasenglbrecht frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre AT thomasreinhard frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre AT johanneshaedrich frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre AT claudiaauwhaedrich frompostwarreconstructiontothetwentyfirstcenturyophthalmicpathologyinfreiburg19452015reviewof39256surgicalspecimensfromvarioustopographicalregionscollectedover71yearsatalargegermantertiaryeyecarecentre |