What is this growth on my son's pluck semilunaris?

[tiff]

He is nearly 8, has dry eyes and mgd, which we are managing. He just had a full exam a few weeks ago and I'm not sure if this was there or not as I don't inspect his eyes everyday to try not to make him paranoid. His Plica semilunaris on both eyes is often very red as is his canula. He also has seasonal allergies. I'm pretty nervous about this bump and, until I get him in to a doc, thought I'd post here for advise and comments. Thanks.

[tiff]

The past few days I have been focusing on just this one eye, but it appears that he has a growth like this on both of his plica semilunaris. It is flesh-colored and juts out over his eyeball and appears as a rounded bump. I'm very worried. He sees his eye doc on Thursday of next week. In the meantime can anyone offer comments or have any of you seen similar things? I did a massive web search and find nothing for this type of thing. Thanks.

[littlemermaid]

I had a quick Google on 'caruncle' too, but whatever it is, it's all in a day's work for a paediatric ophthalmologist. Total sympathy for your worry. There's so much tissue and fluids, lipids and swelling round the eyes with our kids. I was very glad when mine started to feel better wearing her wraparound sunglasses and I think it helped. I've got my money on cyst from inflammatory cells so it would be good to hear the diagnosis.

I'm supposed to say 'see an optometrist meanwhile' but it's hard to find one that's up to speed.

[tiff]

[QUOTE=littlemermaid;96476]I had a quick Google on 'caruncle' too, actually seeing a different doc in the same office. Do you think these bumps need to be removed? I worry they are tumors, some sort of papilloma, an indication things are getting worse with his eyes. He wears large polarized sunglasses while outside all the time. I see he rubs his eyes at school though because he comes home with dirt rubbed on the skin between his nose and inner eye area.
The other thing is his sclera or cornea looks bumpy at the inner corner on one eye. I'm just a mess with worry. Trying to keep things in perspective though and thankful to this forum for help.

[littlemermaid]

Has he got GPC under the upper eyelids?

When she was early teens, my d's sclera was dry, it looked like 'orange peel' bumpy. Always useful to compare our children's eyes with 'normal' and see the variations normal has too.

Any professionals reading might want to consider how they would like their patients to be able to access their service between appointments, and consider what is possible by telemedicine and patient portals.

It would be great if you did have a local Optometrist to advise and monitor, Tiff. The best ones we've found have been either teaching or working in hospitals as well. Difficult to keep the eye exams to minimum though, as you say.

[tiff]

What is GPC?

I initially emailed both his doctors (the one he's been seeing for awhile now, which you know, and the new one the first doctor referred us to for the last appointment since we had things under control. The initial doc emailed right away, got his team to get us an appointment, but with the new doc. The new doc hasn't responded to this email chain, but we see him on Thursday.

[tiff]

I just looked up GPC--can you have that even if you never have worn contacts? Can that develop on plica semilunaris, which is where my son's bumps are?

I'm so worried about him.

[littlemermaid]

Yes, GPC with allergy under eyelids. Similar tissue, different to caruncle, being vestigial third eyelid, so maybe it can. We must not guess. A lot of people want to know what this is now... If anyone wants to try telemedicine to ask whether to worry or not between appointments, docs are saying it needs to be slit-lamp photographs eg from an Optometrist. These are OK as email attachments, if the hospital system lets through .pdf

[tiff]

Update: doc said it's a conjunctival cyst and that he has two on the other eye. I'm not sure the doc knew I was talking about this fleshy bump on the cornea, because when I google images of these conjunctival cysts they are described as, and shown to be, clear, not flesh-colored.

I didn't know slit lamp photos existed and I'm not sure our office has that technology. Next apt. is in 6 months so I guess we just need to keep an eye on it and wait. Doc said he'll drain it if it gets too big and uncomfortable, but to me they looks solid.

[littlemermaid]

Normally we get a diagnosis letter from the doc with observations. Some high street Optometrists in UK do slit-lamp photographs of the eye surface and eyelid margins as well as retina, so it may be available. I guess the office would tell you whether they received your photographs before.