Ultrasound biomicroscopy in traumatic aniridia 2 years after phacoemulsification

A 45-year-old man with retinitis pigmentosa experienced total aniridia in the left eye due to direct blunt trauma 2 years after uneventful bilateral phacoemulsification via a 3.5 mm clear corneal incision. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) of the left eye revealed no missing or stretched zonular fibers extending from the ciliary body to the anterior capsule, a few iris root remnants, a normal ciliary body, an in-the-bag acrylic intraocular lens, and Descemet's membrane dehiscence at the corneal tunnel through which the iris extruded. The eye recovered 20/25 visual acuity after 1 week. Transient hyphema and a rise in intraocular pressure were recorded. This is the first report of traumatic aniridia 2 years after phacoemulsification with UBM evidence of undamaged zonular apparatus. A UBM examination may be clinically helpful, especially when blood prevents accurate slitlamp examination of the anterior segment.