Conjunctival Lymphangiectasia: A Report of 11 Cases and Review of Literature

Conjunctival lymphangiectasia is an uncommon clinical condition in which there is dilatation of lymphatic channels in the bulbar conjunctiva. Conjunctival lymphangiectasia is a rarely appreciated ocular surface disorder that typically occurs as a secondary phenomenon in response to local lymphatic scarring or distal obstruction. Conjunctival lymphangiectasia can either be unilateral or bilateral with focal or diffuse bulbar chemosis. We present 11 cases of biopsy-proven conjunctival lymphangiectasia. Of the 11 cases, 3 presented with bilateral diffuse bulbar chemosis, 1 had diffuse unilateral chemosis, and the remaining 7 presented with focal (< 90 degrees) bulbar chemosis. Three of these cases had co-existing pterygium, and one case presented with focal bulbar chemosis and a conjunctival keratin horn. All underwent surgical excision of the involved conjunctiva, either with no graft (n = 6), combined with amniotic membrane transplant (n = 3), or combined with conjunctival autograft (n = 2). (Surv Ophthalmol 57:136-148, 2012. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)