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Growth On The Outer Corner Of Eye. Will It Impede His Vision? Treatment For An Infant?
Question: My 12 wk old son has a growth on the outer corner of his left eyeball. It is thick pink tissue and resembles the tissue and resembles the tissue you would ordinarily find in the inner corner of the eye. I think the tissue is growing as it is quite noticeable now (or perhaps because my son is growing too?). I am worried that it will continue to grow and impede his vision. I think it could be a Pterygium. I would like to email you a photo of his eye.
Is this growth harmful and what treatment options are open to an infant?
Is this growth harmful and what treatment options are open to an infant?
Dear XXXXXXX,
Thanks for posting your query.
Your child does not have pterygium. Pteregia are degenerative disorders and do not develop as early in life as this.
Your child most probably has Dermolipoma, which is a benign growth. This may increase in size as the chid grows. There is no medical treatment.
They do not effect the vision as they do not cross over on the cornea, unlike the pterygium, which always crosses over to the cornea and may effect the vision.
As these dermolipomas develop you can see very fine hairs over their surface under magnification.
We as a rule wait for this to grow and become cosmatically significant to remove, as by that time the child grows up to have the surgery under local anesthesia, younger children require general anesthesia with it's added problems.
It was good of you to send me the photograph as well to have a better idea of the situation.
Hope I have answered your query. Please do get back to me if you have any additional concerns.
Wishing you all the best.
Regards.
Thanks for posting your query.
Your child does not have pterygium. Pteregia are degenerative disorders and do not develop as early in life as this.
Your child most probably has Dermolipoma, which is a benign growth. This may increase in size as the chid grows. There is no medical treatment.
They do not effect the vision as they do not cross over on the cornea, unlike the pterygium, which always crosses over to the cornea and may effect the vision.
As these dermolipomas develop you can see very fine hairs over their surface under magnification.
We as a rule wait for this to grow and become cosmatically significant to remove, as by that time the child grows up to have the surgery under local anesthesia, younger children require general anesthesia with it's added problems.
It was good of you to send me the photograph as well to have a better idea of the situation.
Hope I have answered your query. Please do get back to me if you have any additional concerns.
Wishing you all the best.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Dear Dr Misra
Thank you so much for your reply. I am relieved to hear that my son's condition is benign and purely cosmetic.
Can I clarify at what age would a child generally be a candidate for local rather than general anethesia
Thank you so much for your reply. I am relieved to hear that my son's condition is benign and purely cosmetic.
Can I clarify at what age would a child generally be a candidate for local rather than general anethesia
Dear XXXXXXX,
Thank you for writing back.
I am glad that we were of some help to you. Since there is no medical reason to have surgery early we are supposed to wait and watch as to how things progress. These growths do not follow a linear pattern. It may remain dormant for some time then progress very slowly.
We would like the child to cross teens to have surgery under local anesthesia, older the better.
apparently there is nothing much to worry.
I hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer if you do not have any more concerns.
Regards.
Thank you for writing back.
I am glad that we were of some help to you. Since there is no medical reason to have surgery early we are supposed to wait and watch as to how things progress. These growths do not follow a linear pattern. It may remain dormant for some time then progress very slowly.
We would like the child to cross teens to have surgery under local anesthesia, older the better.
apparently there is nothing much to worry.
I hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer if you do not have any more concerns.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
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