Polychromasia capsulare: Determining the cause of multicolored iridescence of the anterior lens capsule.
Polychromasia capsulare is a rare condition in which the anterior lens capsule exhibits an extraordinary array of colors during biomicroscopy that change with the incident angle of direct illumination consistent with iridescence. We present the case of a 59-year-old man with bilateral polychromasia capsulare who had successful cataract surgery. Routine light microscopy of the patient's capsulorhexis specimen was normal; however, transmission electron microscopy showed an unusual pattern of polygonal profiles with a periodicity estimated to be approximately 400 to 500 nm. This was not found in a control sample of normal lens capsule, which was relatively uniform in structure and significantly more osmiophilic. The iridescence in this patient's lens capsule is thought to be derived from a complex interplay between light and the abnormal nanoarchitecture of the lens capsule, producing an iridescent appearance. Thus, polychromasia capsulare is evidence of the phenomenon known as structural color in human biology.



None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
From the Cincinnati Eye Institute (Osher), Blue Ash, and the College of Medicine (Osher, Miller, Wang), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, the Department of Pathology (Eagle), Wills Eye Hospital, and the Department of Physiology (Siegman), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Electronic address: rhosher@cincinnatieye.com.
Robert H
RH
Osher
From the Cincinnati Eye Institute (Osher), Blue Ash, and the College of Medicine (Osher, Miller, Wang), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, the Department of Pathology (Eagle), Wills Eye Hospital, and the Department of Physiology (Siegman), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Victoria J
VJ
Miller
From the Cincinnati Eye Institute (Osher), Blue Ash, and the College of Medicine (Osher, Miller, Wang), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, the Department of Pathology (Eagle), Wills Eye Hospital, and the Department of Physiology (Siegman), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Ralph C
RC
Eagle
From the Cincinnati Eye Institute (Osher), Blue Ash, and the College of Medicine (Osher, Miller, Wang), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, the Department of Pathology (Eagle), Wills Eye Hospital, and the Department of Physiology (Siegman), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Marion J
MJ
Siegman
From the Cincinnati Eye Institute (Osher), Blue Ash, and the College of Medicine (Osher, Miller, Wang), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, the Department of Pathology (Eagle), Wills Eye Hospital, and the Department of Physiology (Siegman), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
David
D
Wang
From the Cincinnati Eye Institute (Osher), Blue Ash, and the College of Medicine (Osher, Miller, Wang), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, the Department of Pathology (Eagle), Wills Eye Hospital, and the Department of Physiology (Siegman), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Deborah A
DA
Osborn
D057866:Anterior Capsule of the Lens; D019923:Capsulorhexis; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D006801:Humans; D000068897:Iridescence; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged