Peripheral hypertrophic subepithelial corneal degeneration

To describe the clinical features, clinical course, and response to therapy of an atypical peripheral corneal opacification.

Retrospective case series review.

Six patients are described with similar findings of bilateral, fairly symmetric, peripheral, hypertrophic, subepithelial corneal opacification. All patients were female and had no concurrent systemic conditions. All six patients complained of ocular irritation. Three patients complained of blurred vision, and one patient had monocular diplopia. In three patients followed up for more than 30 months, the corneal opacification remained stable in one patient and enlarged in the other two patients. The other three patients were examined once or twice, so the evaluation of disease progression was precluded. Two patients were treated surgically with superficial keratectomy followed by 2-minute intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin-C. Pathologic examination of bilateral keratectomy specimens from one patient showed subepithelial fibrosis without inflammation.

The clinical findings are reminiscent but atypical of Salzmann nodular degeneration.