| Arcus senilis |
| Classification and external resources |
Four representative slides of corneal arcus. Arcus deposits tend to start at 6 and 12 o'clock and fill in until becoming completely circumferential. There is a thin clear section separating the arcus from the limbus known as the lucid interval of Vogt. Image from Zech and Hoeg, 2008.[1] |
| ICD-10 | H18.4 |
| ICD-9 | 371.41 |
| OMIM | 107800 |
| DiseasesDB | 17120 |
| MeSH | D001112 |
Arcus senilis (or arcus senilis corneae) is a white or gray opaque ring in the corneal margin (peripheral corneal opacity) present at birth[citation needed] or appearing later in life and becoming quite frequent after age 50.
[edit] Alternative names
It is also called arcus adiposus, arcus juvenilis (when it occurs in younger individuals), arcus lipoides corneae or arcus cornealis; sometimes a gerontoxon.
[edit] Causes
It results from cholesterol deposits in or hyalinosis of the corneal stroma and may be associated with ocular defects or with familial hyperlipidemia.
It can be a sign of disturbance in lipid metabolism, an indicator of conditions such as hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipoproteinemia or hyperlipidemia.
Unilateral arcus is a sign of decreased blood flow to the unaffected eye, due to carotid artery disease or ocular hypotony.
[edit] References
- ^ Correlating corneal arcus with atherosclerosis in familial hypercholesterolemia. Zech LA Jr, Hoeg JM. Lipids Health Dis. 2008 Mar 10;7:7. PMID 18331643
[edit] External links
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