Confocal microscopy in ocular chrysiasis

To describe the presence of gold salt deposits in the corneal tissue of a patient treated with gold sodium thiomalate through confocal microscopy and to relate our findings to temporary corneal dynamics.

A patient who had been treated with gold sodium thiomalate for 6 years was referred from the Rheumatology Unit of our center for an ophthalmologic examination. At the time of examination she had been treatment-free for 9 years. Besides visual acuity, the examination included slit-lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure, and fundoscopy. Confocal microscopy performed using a Confoscan P4 instrument with a 40x lens to obtain 15 images per second on an S-VHS video system (Panasonic) for subsequent analysis.

The basic layered structure of the cornea was unaffected, but the presence of highly reflective particles was noted. These particles were interpreted as gold deposits in the corneal stroma, especially in the anterior and middle stroma.

Confocal microscopy is a useful method of evaluating the deposition of gold salts in tissues, particularly the cornea. Its future use will help gain a deeper understanding of corneal metabolism.