Christmas Tree Cataracts

Christmas tree cataracts posted by amanda dexter on december 19 2016 at 9 00 am dr.

Christmas tree cataracts. Send us your ophthalmic image and its explanation in 150 250 words. Deposits eventually cloud the entire lens and form mature cataracts that may be indistinguishable from other etiologies. Early cataracts are called christmas tree cataracts because of the bright branching appearance of fine dust like deposits in the posterior lens. At this early stage it is often called a christmas tree cataract because of its resemblance to the coloured lights on a christmas tree.

They may be seen as a rare variant of senile cataractous development and they are also found with a higher prevalence in patients with. A 70 year old man referred for cataract surgery had on examination a palette of colored needle shaped opacities in the cortex and anterior nucleus of the lens consistent with unilateral christmas tree cataract. The lens forms needle like poly chromatic or iridescent crystals within the cortex. Typically the cataract first appears in the outer layers at the back of the lens as very fine dust like particles that can have a brightly coloured appearance picture 1.

Dexter received her optometric training at southern california college of optometry in fullerton california where she was class of 2010 valedictorian. Christmas tree cataracts also called polychromatic cataracts they form shiny colored crystals in your lens. Sparkling cataract opacities also known as christmas tree cataracts have been described as glittering multicoloured and of polychromic lustre proposed causes include defective lens metabolism cholesterol formation cystine accumulations. Myotonic dystrophy is a tri nucleotide repeat autosomal dominant disease characterized by an inability to relax myotonia and muscle wasting muscular dystrophy.

Christmas tree cataract is typically idiopathic or associated with myotonic dystrophy. She also completed a residency in primary care and ocular disease at the veteran. Christmas tree cataract diffuse illumination of a 70 years old male. This type of cataract result from the accelerated breakdown of membrane associated proteins.

They re most common in people who have a condition called myotonic dystrophy. In addition to the myotonia and muscular dystrophy myotonic. Myotonic dystrophy is a multi system disease which can initially present with symptoms of ptosis ophthalmoplegia extraocular myotonia and decreased visual acuity. Because the cataract did not cause a significant decrease in vision it was not removed but monitored for progression.

Also known as a christmas tree cataract these consist of highly reflective iridescent corneal crystals of various colors.