Episcleral and subconjunctival lipid deposits. One year follow-up.

A series of 39 subjects, aged under 70, had the numbers of lipid globules counted in the slit lamp within 4 regions of the right eye and 4 regions of the left. The counting was repeated after an averaged period of 12 months (range 7-20 months). The investigation disclosed that the number of lipid globules rises. No instances were detected of a fall in their number, allowance being made for errors of measurement, assessed on the basis of blind double counting. The degeneration is not positively correlated to xanthelasma, diabetes mellitus, or presenile arcus.