Fleischer rings are pigmented rings in the peripheral
cornea
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power ...
, resulting from
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
deposition
in basal epithelial cells, in the form of
hemosiderin
Hemosiderin image of a kidney viewed under a microscope. The brown areas represent hemosiderin
Hemosiderin or haemosiderin is an iron-storage complex that is composed of partially digested ferritin and lysosomes. The breakdown of heme gives rise ...
.
They are usually yellowish to dark-brown, and may be complete or broken.
The rings are best seen using the
slit lamp under cobalt blue filter.
They are named for
Bruno Fleischer.
Fleischer rings are indicative of
keratoconus
Keratoconus (KC) is a disorder of the eye that results in progressive thinning of the cornea. This may result in blurry vision, double vision, nearsightedness, irregular astigmatism, and light sensitivity leading to poor quality-of-life. Usu ...
,
a degenerative corneal condition that causes the cornea to thin and change to a conic shape.
Confusion with Kayser-Fleischer rings
Some confusion exists between Fleischer rings and
Kayser-Fleischer rings. Kayser-Fleischer rings are caused by
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
deposits in descemet's membrane of cornea, and are indicative of
Wilson's disease, whereas Fleischer rings are caused by iron deposits in basal epithelial cells. One example of a medical condition that can present with Fleischer rings is
keratoconus
Keratoconus (KC) is a disorder of the eye that results in progressive thinning of the cornea. This may result in blurry vision, double vision, nearsightedness, irregular astigmatism, and light sensitivity leading to poor quality-of-life. Usu ...
.
See also
*
Hudson–Stahli line
*
Limbal ring
References
Eye diseases
Eye color
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