Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026
04:48
Establishing a Severe Corneal Inflammation Model in Rats Based on Corneal Epithelium Curettage Combined with Corneal Sutures
Published on: November 22, 2024
836
Secukinumab-Associated Crystalline Corneal Deposition
Barry Power1, Qistina Pilson, Timothy Fulcher
1Ophthalmology Department, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
Cornea
|October 19, 2018
Summary
This case report details the first instance of corneal crystalline deposits linked to secukinumab (a monoclonal antibody) therapy for ankylosing spondylitis. The patient remained asymptomatic with no vision loss, highlighting a potential side effect of this treatment.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Secukinumab is a monoclonal antibody used to treat inflammatory conditions like ankylosing spondylitis.
- The increasing use of monoclonal antibodies necessitates understanding their potential side effects.
Observation:
- An 18-year-old male on secukinumab therapy for ankylosing spondylitis developed crystalline corneal deposits.
- Deposits were noted 1 year after initiating treatment, with no prior history of eye issues.
Findings:
- Refractile crystals were observed in the anterior stroma of both corneas.
- The patient was asymptomatic with best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20.
- Systemic workup and family history ruled out other causes of crystal deposition.
Implications:
- This is the first reported case of corneal crystalline deposition associated with secukinumab.
- Corneal specialists may encounter this side effect more frequently as monoclonal antibody use expands.
- Understanding the natural history of such side effects is crucial for safe and effective use of these therapies.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Polymer Classification: Crystallinity
3.9K
Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
3.9K
02:33Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
20.0K
Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
20.0K
01:02Role of Microtubules in Cell Wall Deposition
3.1K
Microtubules are small hollow tubes in eukaryotic cells. The cell wall microtubules are polymerized dimers of two globular proteins, α-tubulin and β-tubulin, two globular proteins. With a diameter of about 25 nm, microtubules are the widest components of the cytoskeleton. They help the cell resist compression and provide a track along which vesicles move through the cell or pull replicated chromosomes to opposite ends of a dividing cell. Microtubules go through quick cycles of...
3.1K
02:22Structures of Solids
17.7K
Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
17.7K
02:54Molecular and Ionic Solids
20.0K
Crystalline solids are divided into four types: molecular, ionic, metallic, and covalent network based on the type of constituent units and their interparticle interactions.
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
20.0K
02:18X-ray Crystallography
26.1K
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
26.1K