Climatic droplet keratopathy in the Argentine Patagonia.
OBJECTIVE
To present the findings of climatic droplet keratopathy (CDK) that affects people of a rural area of the Argentine Patagonia.


METHODS
Observational case series.


METHODS
Five hundred seventy-seven individuals who live in settlements and villages in an inland area of the northwest Patagonia region in Argentina received a complete eye examination.


RESULTS
The mean age was 36.02 years (r = 1.5 months to 89 years); 55.63% of the patients were female. The mean age of the 7.62% of the patients who had typical CDK was 65.31 years (r = 42 to 89 years); 86.36% of the patients were male. Of 66 eyes in 35 patients with CDK, 35 eyes had peripheral haziness (grade 1); 23 eyes had a band-shaped haziness (grade 2), and 8 eyes had the aggregate of yellow subepithelial droplets (grade 3). Pinguecula, pterygium, cataract, and pseudoexfoliation were frequent findings among patients with CDK.


CONCLUSIONS
CDK is not infrequent among male adults in this area of the Argentine Patagonia and may be severely handicapping.
Centro de la Visión, Clínica Universitaria Reina Fabiola, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. oftalmologia@fabiola.uccor.edu.ar
Julio A
JA
Urrets-Zavalía
Erna G
EG
Knoll
J Pablo
JP
Maccio
Enrique A
EA
Urrets-Zavalía
José A
JA
Saad
Horacio M
HM
Serra
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution