Annular Salzmann degeneration: Avoiding perturbations and pitfalls in phacoemulsification surgery.

Abstract

We highlight potential problems and pitfalls in cases of Salzmann nodular degeneration by reporting the case of an 84-year-old man with reduced visual acuity due to particularly extensive bilateral Salzmann nodules and moderate cataracts. Large annular Salzmann lesions were removed by superficial keratectomy in each eye. The reproducibility and accuracy of keratometry and biometry improved significantly, and uneventful phacoemulsification cataract surgery was performed 4 weeks after the keratectomy. The phacoemulsification procedures were routine other than the development of pronounced epithelial bullae in the area of Salzmann nodule excision. At final review, the uncorrected distance visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye.No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.