Persistent pupillary membrane

What it means

The presence of remnants of a fetal membrane that persist as strands of tissue crossing the pupil.

The tunica vasculosa lentis anterior (pupillary membrane) normally undergoes atrophy in the third trimester of pregnancy. If the membrane does not completely atrophy, then remnants of membranous structures can be observed to emrge from the iris.

Rare diseases that can present with this3

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category