title: Corneal and conjunctival crystals in paraproteinemia.
abstract: A 64-year-old woman with bilateral corneal and conjunctival crystal deposition was evaluated. A biopsy of her conjunctiva showed intracytoplasmic inclusions of immunoglobulin crystals in fibrocytes, macrophages, and endothelial cells. Serum protein electrophoresis showed elevated kappa and IgA light and heavy chains which corresponded with immunoperoxidase staining results of the conjunctival biopsy. Conjunctival and corneal crystal deposition may be indicative of paraproteinemia, and histopathologic examination of a conjunctival biopsy may be useful in diagnosing this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Grossniklaus
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Stulting
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: L'Hernault
mesh_terms: D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003460:Crystallization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*