Ectopia Lentis

Displacement of the natural lens of the eye

Overview

Ectopia lentis is a displacement of the crystalline lens from its normal position behind the pupil, caused by weakness or breakage of the zonules, the fine fibers that suspend the lens. It may be partial, called subluxation, or complete, called luxation. It can follow blunt trauma but is classically associated with inherited conditions, especially Marfan syndrome, where the lens typically shifts upward, and homocystinuria, where it typically shifts downward. Effects include blurred or fluctuating vision, high astigmatism, double vision in one eye, and in children a risk of amblyopia.