Iridocorneal endothelial syndrome in Thai patients: clinical variations

To evaluate the spectrum of iridocorneal endothelial syndrome, to our knowledge, never studied previously in Orientals.

From 1986 to 1998, we examined 60 consecutive patients (20 men, 40 women) with characteristic signs of iridocorneal endothelial syndrome and compared the clinical manifestations to those reported in white patients.

Cogan-Reese syndrome (CRS) was most common (38 patients), while 14 patients had Chandler syndrome (CS), and 8 had progressive iris atrophy. Three patients initially classified as having CS and 1 as having progressive iris atrophy progressed to CRS. Glaucoma occurred in 46 patients (76.7%), most commonly in patients with progressive iris atrophy or CRS. Ten patients had slow progression of disease during the follow-up period of up to 12 years. Three patients (2 with CRS, 1 with CS) had asymptomatic localized islands of "hammered-silver" appearance and 11 (8 with CRS, 2 with CS, and 1 with progressive iris atrophy) had subclinical abnormal endothelium in the contralateral eyes. A translucent membrane was commonly seen on the brown iris surface. Total endothelial involvement was present in 49 patients, while 6 (4 with CRS, 2 with CS) had focal endothelial abnormalities with sharp demarcation from adjacent normal endothelium.

Iridocorneal endothelial syndrome occurs in Orientals. Cogan-Reese syndrome is the most common form and is strongly associated with glaucoma. Although several clinical manifestations were similar between whites and Orientals (mean age of onset, sex predilection, iris changes, peripheral anterior synechiae formation, or corneal edema), CRS was most prevalent; a translucent membrane were more noticeable in Orientals.