Purpose: We present the first case in the literature of a patient with Kartagener syndrome and ocular findings of nonexudative age-related macular degeneration.
Observations: A 55-year-old woman with Kartagener syndrome and chronic angle closure glaucoma presented for evaluation of the retina. Optos ultra-widefield imaging of the fundus showed glaucomatous cupping, drusen, and retinal pigment epithelium changes within the macular region. Humphrey visual field testing confirmed glaucomatous changes. Drusenoid pigment epithelial detachments were observed bilaterally with optical coherence tomography.
Conclusions and importance: We hypothesize that in addition to the lungs, spermatozoa and the Fallopian tubes, the retinal pigment epithelium may also be affected by ciliary dysfunction in individuals with Kartagener syndrome. Given recent advances in our knowledge of retinal ciliopathies, further studies are needed to understand how ciliary dysfunction affects the retina in Kartagener syndrome.
Keywords: Kartagener syndrome; Macular degeneration; Retinal ciliopathies; Retinal pigment epithelium.