Corneal Mucous Plaque

Excerpt

The superficial cornea, consisting of Bowman's membrane, epithelium, and the overlying tear film, is prone to insult from external elements like infectious agents, systemic diseases, various deposits from the tear film including iron, calcium, mucous, and immunoglobulins, and epithelial dysplasias and neoplasms.

The response to these insults can be ulcerative and non-ulcerative. The non-ulcerative pathologies can form distinct patterns. The most important of these patterns are plaque, dendriform, vortex, linear, and superficial punctate keratopathy. The patterns, though distinct, are not specific for a single disease entity. One pattern can be produced by multiple etiologies, and multiple patterns can be produced by a single disease entity.

Corneal mucous plaques are a collection of mucus, epithelial cells, lipid, and proteinaceous debris, which are firmly adhered to the underlying corneal epithelium. The mucous plaques can be translucent to opaque, multiple or single, small or large patterns that can involve more than one half the corneal surface.