A 36-year-old woman was concerned about the diffuseyellow pigment at the temporal aspect of the conjunctivaof her right eye.
A 36-year-old woman was concerned about the diffuseyellow pigment at the temporal aspect of the conjunctivaof her right eye.This is a pinguecula. It is considered an elastoticdegeneration of the substantia propria and may be associatedwith exposure to ultraviolet light, dry climates,and dust.1 This disorder usually occurs in aged persons.The lesion is often located on the nasal side of theconjunctiva. When a pinguecula advances from the conjunctivaonto the cornea, it becomes a pterygium (seecase on page 74). However, not all pterygiums originatefrom pingueculae.Pingueculae are asymptomatic. They require treatmentwith a short course of topical corticosteroids onlyif inflamed.
REFERENCE:
1.
Tasman W, Jaeger EA. The Wills Eye Hospital Atlas of Clinical Ophthalmology.2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 2001:55.