Elemental Analysis of Sunflower Cataract in Wilson Disease
Narrative Responses:
Purpose
To investigate the nanostructure and elemental composition in the lens capsule of sunflower cataract in Wilson’s disease (WD).
Methods
Transmission electron microscope (TEM) study was done with the capsulorhexised anterior lens capsule of sunflower cataract in WD, evaluating anatomical variation and elemental change for the present study. We made use of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to investigate elemental composition of lens capsule using both point and mapping spectroscopy and also quantitative analysis was performed for relative comparison of elements.
Results
TEM showed the presence of multiple granular deposits of varying size at the posterior one third of anterior capsule. There was no electron-dense particles in the epithelial cell layer of the lens. Copper and sulfur peak revealed consistently in electron dense granular deposit, on the contrary in other tissues including granule-free lens capsule and epithelial tissue they were absent. Most copper was exclusively located at cluster of electron dense particles and the copper distribution overlapped with sulfur on mapping spectroscopy. Quantitative analysis presented inconsistent ratio of copper to sulfur from each electron dense granule.
Conclusion
This is the first elemental analysis of single electron particle in sunflower cataract using EDS in ophthalmic area. Linear shape of copper and sulfur deposition was detected in various sizes and composition ratio with those elements in WD.