Glaucoma
Pigment Dispersion Syndrome
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Get accessPigment (melanin) released from the mid-peripheral posterior iris surface and distributed around the posterior segment
- Posterior bowing of the iris with rubbing against the zonules
- Reverse pupillary block in some cases: increased AC pressure relative to PC leading to backward pressure on iris
Autosomal dominant inheritance (chromosome 7 and 18)
Risk factors
- Myopia
- Age 20-40
- Male
- Ethnicity: caucasian
- Pressure spikes with exercise
Clinical features
- Pigment on the corneal endothelium: Krukenberg spindle
- Pigment elsewhere: posterior lens capsule (Zentmayer’s line), anterior hyaloid-capsular ligament (Egger’s line), anterior lens along zonule insertions (Scheie stripe)
- Spoke-like transillumination defects: mid-peripheral zone
- Lattice degeneration: increased prevalence of retinal tears and detachments
- Open angle with concave peripheral iris and homogenous pigmentation of the trabeculum on gonioscopy
Management of pigmentary glaucoma
- As for POAG, however the NICE guidelines do not recommend SLT as first-line management in PDS patients
- Miotics have theoretical benefit by reducing iridozonular contact but carry risk of inducing retinal detachment
- PI is controversial in pigmentary glaucoma: no clear data to support routine use
- Typically avoided as poorly tolerated by young people and can worsen myopia