[Crystalline keratopathy in pterigium treatment: case report]

A 65 year-old female who consulted due to the emergence of a white spot in the eye that had grown over the last year. The physical examination showed an intrastromal white crystal-like infiltrate and a tree-like morphology, with minimal inflammatory response. It was treated topically with no clear improvement, requiring a penetrating keratoplasty.

A crystalline keratopathy is a rare event and characteristic of, but not exclusively, to a Streptococcus viridans infectious keratitis. It has been associated with prolonged use of topical steroids after penetrating keratoplasty and usually has a poor response to treatment.