Some patient's with Wilson's disease will have copper deposition (chalcosis) in the lens. This is termed a "sunflower" cataract because of its appearance when fully developed. The copper deposits are in and beneath the lens capsule, usually on the anterior surface.
Exam: slit-lamp microscopy
Clinical features of a sunflower cataract:
(1) There is a disc-shaped polychromatic opacity in the central lens.
(2) The lesion has "spokes" that radiate towards the periphery of the lens.
(3) The deposits usually do not affect vision.
(4) The deposits disappear after chelation therapy (D-penicillamine, other) to remove copper.
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