A pigmented spindle of the cornea was first described by Krukenberg1 in 1899; he stated the belief that it arose as a result of fusion between the pupillary membrane and the cornea in fetal life. He referred to the condition as congenital melanosis of the cornea. This abnormality is a vertical band on the posterior surface of the central portion of the cornea composed of brown pigmented particles, which are dense in the center and thin out at the ends and edges. A scattering of fine, dustlike granules is seen outside the spindle, particularly inferiorly. The spindle is usually centrally located ; less commonly it is slightly nasal or temporal.
The Krukenberg spindle is a rare anomaly. Evans, Odom and Wenaas2 were able to collect 202 cases, only a small number of which had been reported. They stated that many busy ophthalmologists have never observed a Krukenberg spindle. Further,