The conundrum of lenticular oncology. A review.

It is a long-accepted dogma in ophthalmology that the lens is a tumour-free tissue. Yet, in the lens, there is lifelong mitotic activity in the subcapsular epithelium. Therefore, these subcapsular epithelial cells must have the potential for cellular transformation. How then can we explain the fact that no scientist has ever seen a naturally occurring primary tumour of the lens in vivo? This review discusses the early work of Mann, von Hallermann, Courtois and others who addressed the issue of tumour resistance of the lens.