Complete occlusion of the anterior capsular opening after intact capsulorheixis: Clinicopathologic correlation

PURPOSE: To report histopathologic findings of capsule contraction syndrome with complete occlusion of the capsulorhexis opening. METHODS: Case report. In an 81 year-old woman, a complete occlusion of the anterior capsulorhexis opening developed 2 months after phacoemulsification and in traocular lens implantation. We surgically removed the contracted a nterior capsule and analyzed the membrane by standard light microscopy and actin immunohistology. RESULTS: Light microscopic analysis of the membrane showed fibrous tissue s ubcapsularly with metaplastic lens epithelial cells. The contracted capsulo rhexis opening was filled completely with proliferated actin-positive lens epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Complete occlusion of the capsulorhexis opening can be attribu ted to excessive shrinkage of the capsule, probably caused by actin filamen ts found in the residual lens epithelial cells together with weak zonular s upport, and to the occlusion of the remaining central defect by massive pro liferation of metaplastic lens epithelial cells, (C) 1999 by Elsevier Scien ce Inc. All rights reserved.