Corneal stellate iron lines following radial keratotomy

Stellate iron deposits in corneal epithelia are a common side effect of radial keratotomy. Similar corneal iron deposits are associated with other corneal surface irregularities including keratoconus, Salzmann's nodular degeneration, corneal scars, keratoplasty and filtering blebs. They also occur in some normal corneas as Hudson-Stähl lines. The mechanisms contributing to corneal iron line formation discussed in this article are hypothesized to be the same in radial keratotomy cases as in the other mentioned conditions. Two cases of stellate iron line formation associated with radial keratotomy are presented.