PURPOSE: To report the incidence and sector distribution of ciliary body cy
sts in normal subjects and to assess association with age using ultrasound
biomicroscopy.
METHODS: We prospectively examined 232 eyes of 116 normal subjects (51 men
and 65 women) ranging in age from 15 to 84 years (mean +/- SD, 45.2 +/- 20.
1). Complete ophthalmic examination, including gonioscopy and ophthalmoscop
y with mydriasis, was performed. In addition, the circumference of the cili
ary body was divided into eight sectors, and scanned in transverse and radi
al sections by high-resolution ultrasound biomicroscope to determine the in
cidence, distribution, and location of cysts.
RESULTS: Based on one randomly chosen eye from each subject, cysts were det
ected in 63 (54.3%) of the 116 subjects. Cysts were found most frequently a
nd in greater numbers in the inferior and temporal sectors. The incidence a
nd the distribution range, expressed as the number of involved sectors per
eye, were 73.1% and 3.8, respectively, for subjects 20 similar to 29 years
old; both incidence and the number of involved sectors decreased with age (
P = .0001). Cyst diameter ranged from 200 to 2500 pm; mean size decreased w
ith age (P = .001). Gender and refractive error did not affect the incidenc
e and distribution. There was significant bilateral correlation in the numb
er, incidence, and distribution of ciliary body cysts.
CONCLUSION: Ultrasound biomicroscopy disclosed a high incidence of ciliary
body cysts in normal subjects, which decreased with age. Cysts were multipl
e and bilateral in many subjects. (C) 1999 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rig
hts reserved.