Cortical ribboning: A sign of isolated posterior capsular rupture

Abstract

Isolated posterior capsular rupture of the crystalline lens following blunt trauma is an uncommon entity, preoperative identification of which can prevent undesirable surgical outcomes. We describe “cortical ribboning” as a novel sign to aid the surgeon in identification of a preexisting posterior capsule rupture in a young male following blunt trauma. Separation of cortical fibers was seen as cortical ribboning on slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Ribbons and posterior capsular defect were confirmed on anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT). Intraoperatively, a defect was noted on the posterior capsule as was presumed on a preoperative examination. Thus, cortical ribboning can be used as a sign of preexisting posterior capsular defect in resource-limited settings for an uneventful management of the case.