LIGNEOUS CONJUNCTIVITIS

The case history is given of a women of 65 (in 1973) with a granulomatous conjunctival inflammation in the right eye and chronic recurrent polyps on the vocal cords. Several times, granulomatous tissue was removed from the conjunctiva of the right eye but the result was recurrences at shorter intervals. Seven years after onset in the right eye the left eye became affected. Various treatments, both systemic and local, were tried without success. The histological diagnosis of ligneous conjunctivitis was not made until 1981. Treatment with the known remedies for ligneous conjunctivitis was not successful. At the end of 1984 treatment with Imuran (azathioprine) was started. Since that time the patient has been practically free of recurrent granulomatous tissue on the conjunctiva and vocal cords. The treatment of ligneous conjunctivitis with Imuran has not previously been reported in the literature.