Long-term follow-up and visual outcome after excision of a traumatic iris cyst by viscoelastic dissection

To report the long-term follow-up and visual outcome after excision of a traumatic iris cyst. A 4-year-old female presented with an iris cyst in her left eye 2 years after corneal laceration repair. An 8 × 7 mm cyst was located between 1 and 6 O’clock on the iris, extending into the anterior chamber. The cyst was surgically removed by dissection from the endothelium and angle by viscoelastic and was submitted for histopathological examination. Postoperative outcomes including visual acuity (VA) and complications over 8 years are reported. Histopathological examination demonstrated fragments of iris tissue extensively covered by a layer of epithelial cells which were present on both the anterior and posterior surfaces of portions of the iris stroma. 8 years post-excision, the patient’s VA improved from 20/80 to 20/30 with no evidence of recurrence and no adverse sequelae. Traumatic iris cyst is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for ophthalmic surgeons with an overall poor visual prognosis if it is not excised properly. Improved wound management techniques during the repair of a traumatic wound are highly recommended. Careful viscoelastic dissection of the iris cyst from the endothelium and angle provided acceptable long-term outcome and prevented recurrence.