West Indian punctate keratopathy

We found corneal lesions of West Indian punctate keratopathy in 128 of 2,048 patients examined in a general eye clinic in Grenada, West Indies. Of these, 125 were Black, two were Indians (Hindu), and one a White female. The lesions occurred in asymptomatic persons with no history of trauma or recurrent erosions. Males were affected more than females, and older adults more than children. The condition was usually unilateral but occasionally bilateral, with one to four lesions in the intrapalpebral fissure in a paracentral location. The lesions were round, discrete, white to yellowish-gray dots 0.2-0.6 mm in size located at the level of the epithelial basement membrane and Bowman's layer. No vascularization nor other anterior membrane disorders were observed. Corneal biopsies of 11 patients were studied by histopathologic and immunoperoxidase techniques. Histopathology revealed areas of lipid positive material in Bowman's layer and adjacent corneal stroma. The epithelium showed basal cell edema, degeneration, and irregular thickening of the basement membrane. Immunoperoxidase studies did not contribute any new information about these lesions.