West African Crystalline Maculopathy: A Case Report

Abstract

Purpose. Crystalline maculopathies can have numerous eti- ologies with one of the less common etiologies being West African crystalline maculopathy. This case report reviews the case of a patient found to have West African crystalline mac- ulopathy, the cause of this maculopathy, and its differentials. Material and Methods. A 79-year-old African American fe- male with a medical history significant for diabetes mellitus and hypertension was examined for a routine diabetic eye exam. It was found that she had yellow crystalline-like de- posits in the macular region of her right and left eye. Fundus images were obtained along with optical coherence tomo- graphy (OCT) images. Results. Dilated fundoscopy showed that the patient had mul- tiple yellow crystalline deposits in the macular region of both eyes. OCT imaging showed that these deposits were localized to the inner retinal layers. The patient reported that she was from the Igbo tribe, located in southeast Nigeria. Additional history included a diet high in kola nuts. Conclusion. West African crystalline maculopathy is a form of crystalline maculopathy that was initially discovered in patients from the Igbo tribe from southeast Nigeria. While the origin of these crystalline deposits is not clear, it is suspected that high amounts of kola nuts in the diet is a significant risk factor in the development of this form of maculopathy. Keywords West African Crystalline Maculopathy, Igbo tribe, kola nut, crystalline maculopathy