Pingueculum

Definition | Symptoms |  Treatment |  Clinic Information

Definition
A pingueculum is a yellowish patch or bump on the white of the eye, most often on the side closest to the nose. It is not a tumor, but an alteration of normal tissue resulting in a deposit of protein and fat. Unlike a pterygium, a pingueculum does not actually grow onto the cornea. A pingueculum may also be a response to chronic eye irritation or sunlight.

Symptoms

• Redness
• Irritation
• Inflammation
• Foreign Body Sensation

The symptoms described above may not necessarily mean that you have a pingueculum. However, if you experience one or more of these symptoms, contact your eye doctor for a complete exam.

Treatment
No treatment is necessary unless the pingueculum becomes inflammed. A pingueculum does not grow onto the cornea or threaten sight. If it is particularly annoying, a pingueculum may on rare occasions be surgically removed, but the post-operative scar may be as cosmetically objectionable as the pingueculum.

Inflammed pinguecula can be treated with lubrication or other eye drops as needed.

Clinic Information
For more information, see the Comprehensive Ophthalmology Clinic and the complete Clinic Services listing of the U-M Kellogg Eye Center.