Bilateral severe progressive idiopathic lipid keratopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case with bilateral progressive lipid keratopathy.


METHODS
A 44-year-old healthy man without previous ocular disease presented with bilateral lipid keratopathy which was more severe in his right eye. Evidence of hyperlipidemia or clinical corneal neovascularization was not apparent.


RESULTS
Penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) was performed, initially in the right eye and four years later in the left eye. Histochemical examination showed focal stromal vascularization and staining for lipids. During the follow-up period, one episode of graft rejection occurred in each eye; both responded to systemic steroid therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe bilateral progressive lipid degeneration can develop in previously healthy corneas in healthy patients without underlying pathology. The nature of the process remains unclear. When PKP is performed and neovascularization is identified in the removed corneal button, close follow-up is advisable because corneal grafts can be prone to rejection.
Levy
Jaime
J
Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 151, 84101, Beer-Sheva, Israel, ljaime@bgu.ac.il
Benharroch
Daniel
D
Lifshitz
Tova
T
D000328:Adult; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008064:Lipidoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography