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Salzmann nodular degeneration
Saturday 13 March 2021
Definition : Salzmann’s nodular degeneration SND is a slowly progressive condition in which gray-white to bluish nodules measuring 1-3 mm are seen anterior to Bowman’s layer of the cornea, usually bilaterally.
These elevated nodules can be located near the limbus or in the mid-peripheral cornea.
Microscopy
Light microscopy (figure 1) reveals dense deposits of hyalinized, irregularly arranged collagen fibers anterior to a fragmented and sometimes absent Bowman’s layer.
The tissue overlying the Salzmann nodules displays an attenuated epithelium containing only 1-2 layers of discontinuous, elongated basal cells in addition to 2-3 more hyperchromatic layers above it.
The corneal stroma contains unevenly distributed keratocytes and disorganized collagen bundles. The keratocytes seen in the nodular stroma have not been s
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