Pellucid marginal corneal degeneration.

Pellucid marginal degeneration of the cornea is a bilateral, clear, inferior, peripheral corneal-thinning disorder. Protrusion of the cornea occurs above a band of thinning, which is located 1 to 2 mm from the limbus and measures 1 to 2 mm in width. American ophthalmologists are generally not familiar with the condition because most of the literature concerning pellucid degeneration is European. Four cases are described. This condition is differentiated from other noninflammatory cornel-thinning disorders such as keratoconus, keratoglobus, keratotorus, and posterior keratoconus. It is also differentiated from peripheral corneal disorders associated with inflammation such as Terrien's peripheral corneal degeneration, Mooren's ulcers, and ulcers from connective tissue disease.