LETTER

Dense Kayser-Fleischer ring in asymptomatic Wilson's disease (hepatolenticular degeneration)

Charlotte Anne Sullivan¹, A Chopdar² and G A Shun-Shin³

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Birmingham and Midlands Eye Hospital, City Hospital, Western Road, Birmingham B18 7QU, UK
² Department of Ophthalmology, East Surrey Hospital, Surrey, UK
³ Department of Ophthalmology, Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Miss C A Sullivan, Birmingham and Midlands Eye Hospital, City Hospital, Western Road, Birmingham B18 7QU, UK

Accepted 6 June 2001

Keywords: Kayser-Fleischer ring; Wilson's disease; hepatolenticular degeneration

The Kayser-Fleischer ring is the single most important diagnostic sign in Wilson's disease; it is found in 95% of patients. Virtually all patients with Kayser-Fleischer rings have neurological manifestations.¹ Pseudo rings have been described in other conditions.¹ The density of a Kayser-Fleischer ring correlates with the severity of Wilson's disease.² We describe a rare case of a dense Kayser-Fleischer ring in an asymptomatic patient with an extremely high liver copper content. The recent significant genetic advances, and the clinical implications are discussed.

At the age of 14 this 23 year old white woman had an evisceration of her left eye for painful rubeotic glaucoma following chronic retinal detachment, resulting from ANA positive iridocyclitis. Her optician referred her because over the past few years, her left prosthetic eye had repeatedly needed an increasingly dense brown ring painted onto it, to match her remaining eye. On examination the visual acuity in the . . . [Full text of this article]

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