REMNANTS OF THE ANTERIOR TUNICA VASCULOSA LENTIS AND LONG ANTERIOR LENS ZONULES

Purpose: To investigate presence of remnants of the tunica vasculosa lentis, a possible indication of anterior segment dysgenesis, in subjects with the long anterior zonule (LAZ) trait. Methods: Retro-illumination photos of the pupil region had been collected in earlier study of the LAZ trait in African-Americans. Secondary image analysis was performed to assess the frequency of intact persistent pupillary membrane iris strands (PPMIS). Results: The analysis included 148 subjects, comprised of 74 LAZ subjects (median age=70 years, range=50-91 years; 64 females) and 74 controls (68 years, 50-83 years; 64 females). While controlling for age and gender, analysis showed that LAZ subjects were 3.1 times more likely than controls (OR=3.1; 95% CI =1.4 to 6.7; P=0.004) to exhibit PPMIS in at least one of their eyes. Conclusions: The LAZ trait, which is being studied as a potential risk factor for glaucoma, was associated with presence of PPMIS in our study population.