Kayser-Fleischer ring /kī″zər flī″shər/ [Bernhard Kayser, German ophthalmologist, 1869–1954; Bruno Fleischer, German ophthalmologist, 1874–1904] , a gray-green to red-gold pigmented ring at the outer margin of the cornea (limbal border), pathognomonic of hepatolenticular degeneration, a rare progressive disease caused by a defect in copper metabolism and transmitted as an autosomal-recessive trait. The disease is characterized by cerebral degenerative changes, liver cirrhosis, splenomegaly, involuntary movements, muscle rigidity, psychic disturbances, and dysphagia. See also Wilson’s disease.
