Cataract surgery in a patient with Brown-McLean syndrome

The Brown-McLean syndrome is defined by corneal edema that involves the peripheral 2.0 to 3.0 mm of cornea, sparing the central cornea. This syndrome is usually associated with previous cataract surgery but has been reported rarely in patients with other predisposing factors such as angle-closure glaucoma or spontaneous lens absorption with iridodonesis. We describe the clinical course of a 50-year-old man with myotonic dystrophy who had Brown-McLean syndrome with no identifiable predisposition for peripheral corneal edema. Although this syndrome appears to be the result of peripheral endothelial dysfunction, this patient was able to tolerate cataract extraction without developing central corneal edema.