Floating anterior lens capsule: an unusual case of true exfoliation.

A rare case of delamination and replication of the anterior lens capsule into prominent floating folds in the anterior chamber approximately 55 years after a penetrating injury to the eye and anterior lens capsule is reported. Classically, true exfoliation of the anterior lens capsule has been reported in individuals who have been exposed to intense heat over a prolonged period. However, more recently cases of true exfoliation of the anterior lens capsule have been reported in patients who have not been occupationally exposed to high temperatures and associated infrared radiation. A brief review of the literature concerning true exfoliation of the lens capsule in the absence of intense heat exposure is included. Associations with trauma, inflammation, advanced age, hyperopia, glaucoma, and capsular protein abnormality have been reported, but the pathogenesis of this rare clinical finding remains conjectural.