Subject(s)
Blindness/history , Eye Injuries/history , Famous Persons , Military Personnel/history , England , History, 18th Century , Humans , Male , Naval Medicine/historyABSTRACT
Biomicroscopical examination of the bulbar conjunctiva and anterior episclera of 1000 randomly selected outpatients showed the presence of multiple discrete lipid globules in 30 per cent. The lipid deposits were asymptomatic. Their prevalence was age-related, while their distribution and composition were consistent with origin from the conjunctival blood vessels.
Subject(s)
Conjunctiva/pathology , Lipidoses , Sclera/pathology , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Eye Diseases/metabolism , Humans , Lipids/analysis , Middle AgedABSTRACT
A study of almost 1000 outpatients at a London eye hospital showed the presence of asymptomatic yellowish, spheroidal deposits in the peripheral cornea or conjunctiva, or both, in about 6 per cent, with a preponderance of males and older subjects among those affected. This prevalence is less than is observed in people in countries exposed to higher levels of sunlight. Histological study of the deposits showed some tinctorial similarities with pseudoelastic fibres of pingueculae, with which they were sometimes associated, but also significant differences suggesting that the spheroidal deposits might be a composite of degenerate collagen and a second non-collagenous protein. Until a more precise terminology is feasible we suggest that a purely descriptive name such as spheroidal degeneration or droplet keratopathy should be used to describe this entity.
Subject(s)
Conjunctiva , Corneal Diseases , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Collagen , Conjunctiva/pathology , Cornea/pathology , Corneal Diseases/diagnosis , Corneal Diseases/pathology , Elastic Tissue , Eye Diseases/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
The potentially blinding abrasive deformities of the lids--trichiasis, districhiasis, entropion, and marginal keratinization--and the defects in lid closure resulting from functionally shortened upper or lower lids should be corrected surgically before contact lenses are fitted or corneal grafting undertaken. The choice of procedure for surgical correction of various degrees of trichiasis-entropion is indicated by the various associated findings, such as thickness of tarsal plate, presence of functional shortening of the upper lid, and involvement of the lower lid (Table II).