Ultrastructural abnormalities in a Marfan's syndrome lens.

The surface ultrastructure of the posterior of the Marfan's syndrome lens was studied by scanning electron microscopy. All aspects of the architecture and construction of the capsule, the zonules and their insertions, the epithelium, and the lens fibers showed a sharp deviation from normal. The capsular fibrils were abnormally large and grossly granular. The zonular fibrils, similar in size and granularity to those of the capsule, contained numerous large aggregates and showed a lack of parallel orientation. The epithelial cells displayed a coarser than normal surface granularity and a lack of regularity of form and orientation. The cortical and nuclear lens fibers displayed a relatively normal surface pattern but showed poorly defined borders and interdigitating processes.