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OPHTHALMIC IMAGE
Year : 2019  |  Volume : 67  |  Issue : 8  |  Page : 1342

Scheimpflug imaging in Christmas tree cataract


Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

Date of Web Publication22-Jul-2019

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Jagat Ram
Advanced Eye Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector 12, Chandigarh - 160 012
India
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_2147_18

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How to cite this article:
Yangzes S, Pandav SS, Ram J. Scheimpflug imaging in Christmas tree cataract. Indian J Ophthalmol 2019;67:1342

How to cite this URL:
Yangzes S, Pandav SS, Ram J. Scheimpflug imaging in Christmas tree cataract. Indian J Ophthalmol [serial online] 2019 [cited 2024 Mar 29];67:1342. Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ijo/pages/default.aspx/text.asp?2019/67/8/1342/263139



A 74-year-old man, known case of glaucoma, presented for a routine eye check-up. His best-corrected visual acuity in the right eye was 6/9 and the left eye was 6/12. His intraocular pressures were 14 in the right eye and 16 in the left eye on travoprost 0.004%. On slit lamp examination, we noticed atypical lenticular opacities in the left eye. There was the presence of multiple iridescent needle-shaped crystals in anterior lens stroma [Figure 1]a. The multicoloured crystals were reminiscent of a Christmas tree. Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging revealed hyper-reflective shadows in the cortical and nuclear lens matter [Figure 1]b. Christmas tree cataract is a rare type of cataract with an unclear mechanism of formation.[1],[2] Association with myotonic dystrophy is reported in the literature.[3] Our patient's neurological examination was normal, and he was advised follow-up since he was comfortable with his vision.
Figure 1: (a) Anterior segment photograph of the left eye showing the presence of multiple polychromatic needle-shaped crystals in the lens giving an appearance of a lit-up Christmas tree. (b) Scheimpflug image of the left eye showing multiple hyper-reflective shadows in the anterior lens stroma

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  References Top

1.
Pau H, Forster H. Double refraction of crystals in the lens (spheroliths, “Christmas tree ornaments”) and the vitreous body (scintillatio nivea). Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 1982;219:295-7.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Shun-Shin GA, Vrensen GF, Brown NP, Willekens B, Smeets MH, Bron AJ. Morphologic characteristics and chemical composition of Christmas tree cataract. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993;34:3489-96.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
Reiter C, Gramer E. Anticipation in patients with iridescent multicoloured posterior capsular lens opacities (“Christmas tree cataract”): The role in the diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy. Ophthalmologe 2009;106:1116-20.  Back to cited text no. 3
    


    Figures

  [Figure 1]


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