Anterior chamber synchysis scintillans

Abstract

Image of the anterior segment of a 56-year-old patient who came to the emergency room for unilateral ocular pain in the right eye (OD). He had a history of arterial hypertension, ocular trauma in the right eye many years ago and retinal detachment. She had no light perception and her intraocular pressure was 37 mmHg. Mixed ciliary injection and in anterior chamber golden crystals that changed place with movement with tendency to sedimentation, halo cornea with senile, fixed pupil and complete opacity of the crystalline lens. The crystals express the picture of scintillating synchisis coming from the posterior vitreous through the zonule and pupil.

Scintillating synchisis is a degenerative cholesterol deposition disease that affects usually damaged eyes, often as a consequence of chronic vitreous hemorrhage or retinal detachment¹. They are mainly located in the fundus of the eye, but sometimes —as in the photograph— the crystals may extend into the anterior chamber, occurring in the context of chronic retinal detachment.