[Comments on simulation and experts. A contribution from forensic practice]. / Anmerkungen zu Simulanten und Spezialisten. Ein Beitrag aus der gutachtlichen Praxis.

The report deals with an insurant (private accident and health insurance), who succeeded in deceiving the university hospital of his mothertown for a long time and in a cost intensive way after he had an alleged concussion followed by an extreme, consecutive decline of his ability to see. The malingerer finally processed some documents, which forced the person inchange in case of a high percentage of disability to pay a sum insured of about one million DM or more. In the practice of an expert it was possible to find him guilty in a simple and cheap way.

[Legal assessment of traumatic cataract for insurance purposes]. / Zur rechtskonformen Beurteilung eines Wundstars im Versicherungswesen.

The author reports on differential diagnostic problems in the assessment of traumatic lens alterations. The question of the probability or possibility of a connection with the accident is discussed. A traumatic cataract, for example, is assessed differently by different types of insurance companies, since legal regulations governing insurance business differ. The author illustrates this with the assessment of a traumatic cataract by a statutory accident insurance company, a private accident insurance company, liability insurance companies, the statutory health insurance organization, the state pension fund and on the basis of the social indemnity legislation. The author points out the need for a basic knowledge of social legislation when giving an opinion.

[Assessment of eye damage for private accident insurance]. / Die Bewertung von Augenschäden in der privaten Unfallversicherung.

Together with a team from the HUK association (an association of liability, accident, transport and legal protection insurance-companies) the authors discussed a new assessment table for diminution of vision and have recommended its use by private accident insurance companies. The table was worked out on the basis of guidelines issued by the Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft in 1981. In cases of bilateral eye damage the total extent of the disability - based on the specific diminution of usability of each eye - should be calculated according to the conditions of the insurance companies and not by a medical expert. Further proposals for the assessment of visual field defects and other kinds of eye damage covered by private accident insurance were also brought into line with the recommendations issued by the Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft in 1981.

[Rehabilitation of patients with retinal disease (author's transl)]. / Zur Rehabilitation Netzhautkranker.

Report on a catamnestic study which attempted to follow up patients who had undergone successful surgery for retinal detachment. A striking finding was that, even today, the vast majority of doctors discourage strenuous physical activity and sport. One of the reasons for this seems to be the discussion concerning the role of indirect trauma, which has been continuing for years now. It is dealt with in detail.

[Reflections on the connection between trauma and malignant intraocular melanoma (author's transl)]. / Versicherungsrechtliche Uberlegungen zum Problem des klinisch unerwarteten Melanoms.

With reference to case histories, and after a study of the relevant literature, the authors discuss the possibility or probability of a connection between perforating eye injuries and later development of a melanoma of the choroid, which is often unsuspected clinically. The problem from the ophthalmologist's point of view is compared with the cicatricial carcinoma of the lung, which is accepted as a late sequela by insurance companies.

[Investigations into the importance of the statutory accident insurance scheme for children and students in North-Rhine Westphalia on the basis of 2917 analyzed cases (author's transl)]. / Untersuchungen zur Bedeutung der gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung für Kinder und Schüler in Nordrhein-Westfalen anhand von 2917 analysierten Fällen.

A review of the eye injuries recorded by a major statutory insurance corporation showed that eye injuries are the third most common type of injury, following surgical and neurosurgical cases. It was found that eye injuries have the lowest tendency to improve as expressed in terms of a modification of compensatory annuities.

[The abortion problem from the ophthalmologist's point of view (author's transl)]. / Zur Problematik der Schwangerschaftsunter-brechung aus der Sicht des Augenarztes.

This article is devoted to the problems associated with termination of pregnancy as seen by the ophthalmologist. It starts by pointing out the ophthalmological indications which have to be considered in this connection. Pediatric indications are then discussed, in particular the highly problematic clinical picture of diabetic retinitis. Last not least, in view of the revision of the (German) abortion law, psychosocial indications must be considered; in this respect an unequivocal attitude should be adopted.

PIP: This article is devoted to the problems associated withtermination of pregnancy as seen by the ophthalmologist. Itstarts by pointing out the ophthalmological indicationswhich have to be considered in this connection. Pediatricindications are then discussed, in particular the highlyproblematic clinical picture of diabetic retinitis. Lastly,in view of the revision of the (German) abortion law,psychosocial indications must be considered; in this respectan unequivocal attitude should be adopted. (author's)

[The significance of ophthalmology in current social medicine]. / Beiträge zur Bedeutung der Augenheilkunde in der heutigen Sozialmedizin.

Report on the connection between ophthalmology and actual social medicine by means of 4 different investigations the results of which are stated.

[The socio-medical importance of windscreen injuries (author's transl)]. / Zur sozialmedizinischen Bedeutung der Windschutzscheibenverletzung.

The effects of car accidents on professional and private activities were analyzed from the catamneses of 210 patients treated between 1967 and 1977 (35% of all windscreen injuries treated at Münster University Eye Hospital). The accidents were reconstructed and the costs due to them estimated.

[Investigations into causes of late blindness (author's transl)]. / Untersuchungen zu den Ursachen der Späterblindung.

The results of investigations described here show that the sociomedical aspect of late blindness is still especially relevant in the Federal Republic of Germany. In correlation with increasing life expectancy the incidence of late blindness was found to be the arteriosclerotic form of macular degeneration. Despite the limited range of therapeutic measures available, the author recommends action to facilitate early diagnosis, in order to postpone severe impairment of vision or blindness for as long as possible.

[Assessment of injuries to the lids and lacrimal apparatus--catamnestic investigations (author's transl)]. / Zur Begutachtung von Verletzungen der Lider and Tränenwege-Katamnestische Untersuchungen.

An investigation of consultancy work at Münster University Eye Hospital from 1967 to 1977 showed that 84% of all cases seen arose from accidents. Unilateral and bilateral lid injuries with injuries to the lacrimal system are statistically less important for the assessment of damage due to accidents. Although both lid injuries and injuries of the lacrimal apparatus very often occur together with perforating eye injuries they are only important in 2% of all assessments of accident damage.

[Findings and surgical therapy in congenital glaucoma (author's transl)]. / Befunde und operative Therapie beim Buphthalmus.

The authors report about the findings in 102 children with congenital glaucoma. The intraocular pressure was normalized in 90% after goniotomy and trabeculotomy. The postoperative average i.o. pressure was 16,6 mmHg.