Management of Epithelial Cysts and Ingrowth

Abstract

Epithelial invasion of the anterior chamber is a rare, but often devastating complication of penetrating ocular trauma and anterior segment surgery. In 1830, MacKenzie reported the presence of a semitransparent cyst in the anterior chamber of an eye following trauma. Rothmund, in 1872, speculated that implantation of epithelium at the time of surgery or penetrating trauma resulted in the development of anterior chamber cysts. Collins and Cross (1892) presented the initial description of the histopathology of epithelial cysts in eyes enucleated following cataract surgery. The cysts they observed were lined by laminated epithelium similar to that of the cornea. Pupillary block glaucoma was noted in one of the eyes. During 1937, Perera proposed a classification of epithelial invasion dividing it into three types of lesions: 1) “pearl” tumors of the iris, 2) post-traumatic cysts of the iris (epithelial cysts), and 3) epithelization of the anterior chamber (epithelial ingrowth).