Angle-closure glaucoma in a patient with the nanophthalmos-ocular cystinosis-foveoschisis-pigmentary retinal dystrophy complex

BACKGROUND: To report clinical features of bilateral angle-closure glaucoma in a patient with nanophthalmic eyes associated with ocular cystinosis, foveoschisis and pigmentary retinal dystrophy. This is probably the first published report of the possible association of all these five entities in the same patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old white male was referred for uncontrolled glaucoma in both eyes. He was previously diagnosed with angle-closure glaucoma in association with ocular cystinosis. Ocular examination revealed high hyperopia (+13.5 OD and +14 OS diopters) with reduced axial length (16.27 mm OD and 15.93 mm OS). Despite being on 3 topical medications, his IOP measured 37 mmHg OD and 35 mm Hg OS. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy showed refractile, polychromatic crystalline deposits throughout the cornea and conjunctiva in both eyes. Gonioscopy revealed an extremely narrow angle with peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS). Anterior chamber depths were shallow. Fundus examination disclosed punctate hypopigmentation of the retinal pigment epithelium mainly at the posterior pole. Optical coherence tomography showed foveal schisis appearing as small retinal cysts. The patient did not display any systemic abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: This case brings into discussion a new clinical entity of angle closure glaucoma in nanophthalmos accompanied by ocular cystinosis-foveoschisis-pigmentary retinal dystrophy complex.