Glaucoma

Pigment Dispersion Syndrome

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Pigment (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

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