Familial cataracts and concurrent ocular anomalies in chow chows

A closely inbred line of Chow Chows affected with congenital cataracts was studied. Sixteen dogs were examined including 1 adult male, 2 adult females, and 13 pups. Twelve of the pups were from 6 different litters, out of 6 different bitches, all sired by 1 adult male. The exact relationship of the thirteenth pup was undetermined. Clinical evaluation included slit-lamp biomicroscopy, biomicroscopic photography, and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Clinical appearance of the cataracts was variable, ranging from incipient nuclear or capsular lesions to advanced cortical opacity. The lens nucleus was most consistently affected, with variable involvement of the lens cortex. Concurrent ocular anomalies of some eyes included wandering nystagmus, entropion, microphthalmia, persistent pupillary membrane remnants, and multifocal retinal folds. A correlation was not apparent between the character or severity of the cataracts and the finding of the other anomalies. Histologic examination of 12 lenses revealed posterior displacement of the lens nucleus, retained lens epithelial cell nuclei in the nuclear and cortical lens, anterior capsular irregularity and duplication, anterior lens epithelial duplication, and posterior subcapsular migration of epithelium. The high incidence of cataract in this family of Chow Chows suggested an inherited defect, although the inheritance pattern was undetermined.