Corneal tattooing to reduce glare in cases of traumatic iris loss.

The traumatic loss of iris is often associated with symptoms of glare, which can be debilitating. This symptom may be benefitted by wearing a contact lens with a clear, central optical zone and opacification of the remainder. The patient who is contact lens-intolerant may be helped by tattooing of all of the cornea except the central visual axis. Four patients who had traumatic iris loss and who were treated by this technique reported reduced glare as well as improvement in the cosmetic appearance of the eye. Although corneal tattooing is an ancient procedure, it continues to be of benefit for selected patients.