The Hudson–Stahli line is a line of
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 lying roughly on the border between the middle and lower thirds of the cornea.
[Ophthalmology Myron Yanoff, Jay S. Duker Edition 3, illustrated Elsevier Health Sciences, 2008 , ] It lies in the
corneal epithelium
The corneal epithelium (epithelium corneæ anterior layer) is made up of epithelial tissue and covers the front of the cornea. It acts as a barrier to protect the cornea, resisting the free flow of fluids from the tears, and prevents bacteria fro ...
. Usually it has about 0.5 mm in thickness and is 1–2 mm long. It is generally horizontal, with possible mild downward trend in the middle. It is present normally in people over the age of 50, but seems to dissipate to some degree by the age of 70.
The Hudson–Stahli line is not associated with any pathology calling for clinical intervention. Formation of the line may depend upon the rate of
tear secretion.
However, the Hudson–Stahli line can be enhanced in
hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil among others, is a medication used to prevent and treat malaria in areas where malaria remains sensitive to chloroquine. Other uses include treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, an ...
toxicity.
See also
*
Fleischer ring
Fleischer rings are pigmented rings in the peripheral cornea, resulting from iron deposition in basal epithelial cells, in the form of hemosiderin. They are usually yellowish to dark-brown, and may be complete or broken. The rings are best seen usi ...
– corneal iron depositions in
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 ...
References
External links
Hudson-Stähli Line– University of Columbia
Bilateral UV photographs of corneas from four normal subjects– HS lines, a figure from a study ()
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson-Stahli line
Ophthalmology
Eye color