23
EW NEWS & OPINION
January 2018
Contact information
Fishkin: Joseph@fishkinmd.com
Jachens: adrian.jachens@gmail.com
Schwab: christoph.schwab@medunigraz.at
previously published research may
be because of the study's non-hos-
pital setting, the researchers wrote.
Specifically, the study was at three
outdoor public swimming areas, and
participants may have had more sun
exposure in their lifetime.
The results seem to confirm
the hypothesis that iris freckles are
induced by sunlight and that their
presence might be indicative of a
high cumulative dose of sunlight,
the study concluded. "The evalua-
tion of iris freckles offers an easily
accessible potential biomarker that
might be helpful in indicating
chronic sun exposure," the research-
ers wrote.
The researchers are currently
planning two other studies regard-
ing possible sun-induced changes
of the eye. "It's still too early to talk
about the final results. However, I
think that sun exposure influenc-
es the eye more than previously
thought," Dr. Schwab said.
Practical implications
Although iris freckles may not be
the most glamorous topic, they can
be potentially interesting to track
and for patients to see, said Joseph
Fishkin, MD, Fishkin Vision, Emer-
son, New Jersey. "During the course
of my exam, I take slit lamp photos
of nearly all of my patients with iris
freckles," he said. "This allows me to
document their current appearance
and allow for future comparison."
Patients also enjoy seeing the photos
and even comparing iris freckles that
appear in siblings, he added.
Although Dr. Fishkin has often
thought of iris freckles as being
associated with normal lifetime sun
exposure, this study will prompt
him to think more about their asso-
ciation with excessive sun exposure.
"Though I think we all could
have guessed that freckles in the
iris, just like freckles on the skin, are
indicative of sunlight exposure and
sun damage, it's nice to have a quan-
titative study that confirms this,"
said Adrian Jachens, MD, EyeCare
20/20, East Hanover, New Jersey.
"The role of sun exposure in
several eye diseases is not fully
understood," Dr. Schwab said. "The
investigation of iris freckles in sev-
eral eye diseases could lead to new
knowledge regarding their pathogen-
esis as well as to new eye-related sun
protection recommendations." EW
Reference
1. Schwab C, et al. Iris freckles a potential
biomarker for chronic sun damage. Invest
Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017;58:BIO174–179.
Editors' note: The physicians have
no financial interests related to their
comments.
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