Spontaneous corneal perforation in an eye with Peters' anomaly

Moosang Kim, Seung-Chan Lee, Seung-Jun Lee

Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea

Abstract: A premature female infant underwent her first ophthalmologic examination at the age of 4 weeks. The initial examination of the baby was requested for evaluation of a ‘white spot’ on the surface of her right eye. She had been hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit because of systemic abnormalities, such as a right clavicle fracture and microcephaly. Slit-lamp examination of the right eye showed a central corneal opacity, corneal thinning, and an iridocorneal adhesion. The lens and fundus of the right eye could not be observed. We observed no pathologic findings in the left eye. The baby's parents were informed of the high risk for spontaneous corneal perforation without external pressure. At 42 days of age, an ophthalmologic examination of the infant was again requested for evaluation of ‘tears’ from her right eye 3 hours previously. Examination revealed corneal perforation, iris protrusion, and a flat anterior chamber. We performed emergent conjunctival flap surgery. Three months following surgery, the patient's right eye was successfully preserved with no sign of inflammation or leakage.

Keywords: conjunctival flap, corneal perforation, Peters' anomaly