Atypical phacolytic glaucoma diagnosed by biometry and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) in a patient with CMV anterior uveitis.

Purpose: To report a case of phacolytic glaucoma with atypical presentation in a patient which was diagnosed with biometry swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and anterior segment spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT).

Methods: A 56-year-old male with a history of cytomegalovirus (CMV) chronic anterior uveitis in the right eye presented with a white cataract, minimal anterior chamber reaction and intraocular pressure (IOP) of 56 mmHg. Visual acuity was light perception. The anterior chamber was deep, without evidence of macroscopically visible capsular rupture. A surgical intervention was necessitated with the puzzle being whether to proceed with a trabeculectomy or a combined phaco-trabeculectomy. After a routine preoperative assessment with intraocular lens Master700, the disintegration of the natural lens was noticed. Anterior segment Spectralis OCT confirmed a lamellar separation of the anterior one third of the lens, resembling a poultaceous material. After an uneventful phacoemulsification, visual acuity was 6/6, IOP was well-controlled on maximum topical antiglaucoma treatment and no CMV recurrence was observed.

Results: The diagnosis of phacolytic glaucoma was established with the aid of current imaging OCT systems. Both OCT images were suggestive of a phacolytic nature of our case, despite the fact that the clinical presentation was not in concordance with such a typical case. In view of our findings the decision was to proceed with cataract extraction alone.

Conclusion: This is the first time that we image and document the phacolytic nature of a natural lens. Our patient did not have the typical clinical presentation and was differentially diagnosed with biometry SS-OCT and confirmed by anterior segment SD-OCT.