Cholesterosis bulbi

Abstract

In 1975, Wand et al. explained that cholesterosis bulbi was a condition similar to but different from scintillating synchisis, although in current clinical practice these terms are often used interchangeably1. In the image below, an eye with typical cholesterosis bulbi is shown. This refers to a condition in which cholesterol crystals accumulate in the vitreous and may also pass into the anterior chamber of the eye. This accumulation can occur as a result of trauma or certain underlying ocular conditions, such as Coats disease, retinoblastoma, retinal detachment, retinal vasculopathy, among others. In our case we observed an eye with mixed hyperemia with deposits of iridescent and mobile crystals in the anterior chamber, accompanied by iridocrystalline synechiae. When the patient reaches this stage, he/she usually already has a painful blind eye secondary to glaucoma, which may require a surgical procedure to relieve pain, improve the patient's quality of life, as well as to take preventive measures for the contralateral eye.