OPHTHALMIC FINDINGS IN SCLEROMYXEDEMA

Purpose: To catalog ophthalmic findings in a cohort of patients with s cleromyxedema. Methods: Thirty-five biopsy-proven patients with sclero myxedema evaluated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 19 60 to 1991 were identified. Eye examinations were performed on 17 of t he patients. Ophthalmic findings not attributable to other systemic or ocular disease were recorded. Results: The following abnormalities we re considered secondary to scleromyxedema: corneal opacities (2 patien ts), thickened eyebrow or eyelid skin (4 patients), lagophthalmos (1 p atient), and ectropion (2 patients). One patient who had concurrent po lyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome also had choroidal folds and papilledem a. A corneal biopsy in one patient disclosed deposits of acid mucopoly saccharide, consistent with one of two previously published cases. Con clusion: A series of patients with scleromyxedema was reviewed. This s ystemic disorder infrequently may cause visually significant ophthalmi c manifestations, including eyelid changes and corneal deposits. Furth er study is needed to characterize better the nature of the corneal op acities.