Climatic droplet keratopathy in the Argentine Patagonia.

Abstract

To present the findings of climatic droplet keratopathy (CDK) that affects people of a rural area of the Argentine Patagonia. Observational case series. 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. 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. CDK is not infrequent among male adults in this area of the Argentine Patagonia and may be severely handicapping.