Christmas Tree Cataract

The peptides and amino acids accumulate in the lumen of the reticular meshwork and cystine is concentrated beyond the level of crystallisation giving rise to growing crystals.

Christmas tree cataract. This type of cataract result from the accelerated breakdown of membrane associated proteins. The needles change color when the angle of the incident light is changed. The christmas tree cataract is highly reflective iridescent and polychromatic. They look like little needles in the eye going in all directions and assume the shape of a christmas tree.

A 70 year old man referred for cataract surgery had on examination a palette of colored needle shaped opacities in the cortex and anterior nucleus of the lens consistent with unilateral christmas tree cataract. Christmas tree cataract is typically idiopathic or associated with myotonic dystrophy. Send us your ophthalmic image and its explanation in 150 250 words. Because the cataract did not cause a significant decrease in vision it was not removed but monitored for progression.