Classic homocystinuria and keratoconus: a case report

Homocystinuria is one of a group of genetic disorders called inborn errors of metabolism. It is characterized by a deficiency of the enzyme that converts homocysteine to cystathionine. Keratoconus is an ophthalmologic condition characterized by thinning of the corneal stroma, which causes the cornea to assume a conical shape. There is little information in the scientific literature about the association between keratoconus and homocystinuria. We believe that a collagen cross-linking defect may be the key to understand the connection between these two conditions. This case report describes a 38-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of classical homocystinuria since age 13. At the age of 16, he received a diagnosis of asymmetrical keratoconus when referred for lensectomy with vitrectomy of his left eye. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with simultaneous homocystinuria and keratoconus.