Other risk factors include age, gender (M>F), smoking, proximity to the equator and diabetes mellitus. Research suggests the more common nasal side occurrence is related to the light passing medially through the cornea, which focuses on the nasal limbus, whereas the nose may reduce the intensity of the UV light to the temporal limbus. The etiology appears to arise from the effects of environmental elements such as wind, dust and UV light exposure. This yellowish lesion is a degeneration of elastic tissue and subepithelial collagen with hyalinized connective tissue that does not often involve the cornea. Pinguecula is a common nonmalignant, raised lesion that is most often in the interpalpebral bulbar conjunctiva. You will see any number of these issues in your chair, and being able to recognize them quickly will give you a head start on diagnosis and management. Prompt diagnosis and treatment will ensure your patients are on the road to recovery in no time. This atlas highlights the clinical presentations of some of the most common conjunctival and scleral anomalies so you can quickly identify them in your chair. As primary eye care providers, we often have patients present with symptoms of disorders that affect these structures, and it is our job to provide timely intervention. The integrity of the conjunctiva and sclera is crucial for healthy eyes, and when it is compromised by abnormalities or inflammation, the ocular system quickly becomes chaotic.

Posteriorly, it merges with the meninges at the optic nerve, penetrates the globes and joins with choroidal tissue from the lamina cribrosa. Anteriorly, the scleral connects to the cornea at the limbus. The sclera, a dense connective tissue made of collagen and elastin, encapsulates the eye, giving it structure and rigidity. The conjunctiva, a thin layer of tissue lining the eye and eyelids, contributes to homeostasis of the tear film, provides a layer of protection from foreign material and wards off infection. T wo of the most protective structures of the ocular system are the conjunctiva and sclera.

No blue square or scleral icterus