From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Kayser–Fleischer ring

Field	Value
name	Kayser–Fleischer ring
image	Kayser-Fleischer ring.jpg
caption	A Kayser–Fleischer ring in a 32-year-old patient who had longstanding speech difficulties and tremor.

| Kayser–Fleischer rings (KF rings) are dark rings that appear to encircle the cornea of the eye. They are due to copper deposition in the Descemet's membrane as a result of particular liver diseases. Initially thought to be due to the accumulation of silver, they were first demonstrated to contain copper in 1934.

Presentation

KF ring and Sunflower cataract — Copper deposition in peripheral Descemet membrane (Kayser–Fleischer ring) and anterior capsule of crystalline lens (sunflower cataract)

The rings, which consist of copper deposits where the cornea meets the sclera, in Descemet's membrane, first appear as a crescent at the top of the cornea. Eventually, a second crescent forms below, at the "six o'clock position", and ultimately completely encircles the cornea.

Associations

Copper deposition on corneal Descemet's membrane

Kayser–Fleischer rings are a sign of Wilson's disease, which involves abnormal copper handling by the liver resulting in copper accumulation in the body and is characterised by abnormalities of the basal ganglia of the brain, liver cirrhosis, splenomegaly, involuntary movements, muscle rigidity, psychiatric disturbances, dystonia and dysphagia. The combination of neurological symptoms, a low blood ceruloplasmin level and KF rings is diagnostic of Wilson's disease.

Other causes of KF rings are cholestasis (obstruction of the bile ducts), primary biliary cirrhosis and "cryptogenic" cirrhosis (cirrhosis in which no cause can be identified).

Diagnosis

As Kayser–Fleischer rings do not cause any symptoms, it is common for them to be identified during investigations for other medical conditions. In certain situations, they are actively sought; in that case, the early stages may be detected by slit lamp examination before they become visible to the naked eye.

References

Kayser B. (1902). "Über einen Fall von angeborener grünlicher Verfärbung des Cornea". Klin Monatsbl Augenheilk.
Fleischer B. (1903). "Zwei weitere Fälle von grünlicher Verfärbung der Kornea". Klin Monatsbl Augenheilk.
{{WhoNamedIt. synd. 1758
(1934). "Besteht das Pigment des Kayser-Fleischerschen Hornhautringes aus Silber?". Klin Wochenschr.
(1999). "A homesick student". Postgrad Med J.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

disorders-of-sclera-and-cornea eye-color

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Kayser–Fleischer ring — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report