A Case of Multiple Uveal Cysts Associated with Persistent Pupillary Membrane in Dog

Abstract

A 7-year-old female Chihuahua presented with a complaint of localized central corneal opacity and distorted iris in the right eye. Ophthalmic evaluation with a slit-lamp biomicroscope revealed several persistent pupillary tissue strands arising from a minor iridal circle and iris collarette attached to the corneal endothelium, causing corneal opacity. The mobility of the iris was impaired, and the pupil was distorted and partly obscured by the strands. Other ophthalmic findings included multiple and small brown-pigmented uveal cysts at the pupillary margin and slightly localized iris hyperemia around the distorted iris. Uveal cysts can be congenital and acquired, but their cause is largely unknown. In this case, the possible cause of the uveal cyst formation and/or enlargement was suggested to be the repeated expansion and contraction due to the physical obstruction of the iris by the pupillary strands.