Pharmacologic pupillary constriction after dilated fundus examination for ectopia lentis to prevent further...

To describe two cases of ectopia lentis with different preoperative management strategies following the initial diagnostic dilated exam.

In both cases, the patients presented with bilateral subluxation of the crystalline lens. Neither patient had a known history of Marfan's disease, homocystinuria or other systemic disorders that affect the body's connective tissue possibly leading to lens subluxation. Patient 1 was sent home after dilated fundus examination with no special precautions. That same night, he developed severe right eye pain and further decreased vision. He was found to have complete dislocation of his right crystalline lens into the anterior chamber with corneal edema and an elevated pressure, requiring an urgent pars plana lensectomy. In our second case of ectopia lentis, patient 2 was examined prior to dilation and noted to have bilateral subluxation of the lens into the vitreous. Twenty minutes after dilation, the crystalline lens was noted to be in the anterior chamber in the right eye. The patient was laid supine for several minutes and once the lens was in the posterior cavity, she was given 1% pilocarpine in both eyes to constrict the pupil to prevent dislocation in the anterior chamber. Patient 2 had an uneventful perioperative period and did not suffer worsening subluxation after her initial visit.

Unlike patient 1, patient 2 did not suffer further subluxation after her initial dilated eye exam, therefore avoiding a more arduous clinical and surgical course. Patients presenting with completely dislocated lenses may benefit from the reversal of pupillary dilation by being placed in the supine position and given reversal drops such as 1% pilocarpine prior to leaving the office. This method may help prevent complications from anterior lens subluxation and pupillary block glaucoma until definitive surgical managment.