Deposition of melanin and iron in ocular structures in haemochromatosis

Cutaneous pigmentation is a well-recognized feature of idiopathic haemochromatosis and, in various series, has been recorded in up to 8o per cent. of patients (Finch and Finch, I955). In the world literature there are occasional reports of pigmentation in the gums (Saundby, I890), buccal mucous membranes (Richardiere, I895), lips (Parker, I903), and tongue (Hess and Zurhelle, I905), and Maddox (I933) recorded the presence of discolouration around the disc margin of the retina in four patients with haemochromatosis. The past finding was also observed by Hudson (1953) in one of the five patients he examined. Apart from these reports, however, abnormal pigmentation in the eye has received little attention. In this paper we describe findings related to the occurrence and distribution of melanin and iron in the extraocular structures and within the eye, in haemochromatosis, based on a study of 44 patients.