Vossius ring (also called ''Vossius's ring'' or ''Vossius' ring'') is due to

blunt trauma A blunt trauma, also known as a blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is a physical trauma due to a forceful impact without penetration of the body's surface. Blunt trauma stands in contrast with penetrating trauma, which occurs when a ...

to the

eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

. When the eye is injured, a circular ring of fainted or stippled

opacity Opacity is the measure of impenetrability to electromagnetic or other kinds of radiation, especially visible light. In radiative transfer, it describes the absorption and scattering of radiation in a medium, such as a plasma, dielectric, shie ...

is seen on the

anterior Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

surface of the

lens A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'') ...

due to brown amorphous granules of pigment lying on the capsule. It has the same diameter as the contracted

pupil The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to strike the retina.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. (1990) ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company. It appears black becau ...

, and is due to impression of the iris on the lens as a result of the force of a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

injury Injury is physiological damage to the living tissue of any organism, whether in humans, in other animals, or in plants. Injuries can be caused in many ways, including mechanically with penetration by sharp objects such as teeth or with ...

, which drives the cornea and iris backward. It is named after German

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...

Adolf Vossius, who first described the condition in 1906.

Differential Diagnosis

While typically caused by blunt trauma to the eye, Vossius rings can also be a sign of previous or active

anterior uveitis Uveitis () is inflammation of the uvea, the pigmented layer of the eye between the inner retina and the outer fibrous layer composed of the sclera and cornea. The uvea consists of the middle layer of pigmented vascular structures of the eye and i ...

. Inflammation in the anterior chamber can lead to

Synechia (eye) Ocular synechia is an eye condition where the iris adheres to either the cornea (i.e. ''anterior synechia'') or lens (i.e. ''posterior synechia'').F. Salmon, J. (2019) Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology. 9th Edition, Elsevier. Synechiae can be ...

in which the pupillary ruff adheres to the anterior lens surface. Once the synechia resolve, some pigment can remain on the lens leading to perceived blurring of bright lights. This is often exacerbated in low light conditions due to the pupil dilating, thus exposing more of the ring to the retina.

References

External links

NIH website
Eye diseases {{symptom-stub