Location of the iris insertion in pigment dispersion syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the position of the iris insertion into the ciliary body in persons with pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS) and control subjects.


METHODS
Ultrasound biomicroscopy was performed on 19 eyes with PDS and on 21 eyes of control subjects. A radial, perpendicular image in the temporal meridian detailing Schwalbe line (SL), scleral spur (SS), and iris root insertion (IR) was obtained for each eye by a single examiner. The distances between these structures then was measured.


RESULTS
There were no differences between the groups in refractive error (mean +/- standard error, -2.8 +/- 0.7 diopters for PDS eyes versus -2.2 +/- 0.6 for control subjects) (P=0.46), sex distribution (P=0.49), and trabecular meshwork height (SL to SS) (0.63 +/- 0.03 mm [PDS eyes] versus 0.59 +/- 0.03 [control eyes]; P = 0.24). The SS-to-IR distance was significantly greater in PDS eyes (0.04 +/- 0.04 mm) than in control eyes (0.28 +/- 0.04 mm) (P=0.01) as was the overall distance from SL to IR (0.98 +/- 0.04 mm versus +/- 0.04 mm) (P = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
The insertion of the iris into the ciliary body is more posterior in PDS eyes than in control eyes. This anatomic variation places the iris pigment epithelium proximal to the zonular apparatus and may increase the likelihood of iridozonular contact and zonular pigment dispersion.
Sokol
J
J
Glaucoma Service, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York 10003, USA.
Stegman
Z
Z
Liebmann
J M
JM
Ritch
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007498:Iris / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography