Contributor: Gordon K. Klintworth
Chronic actinic keratopathy (climatic droplet keratopathy, spheroidal degeneration of the cornea, and numerous other terms) is a chronic keratopathy that is probably caused by an accumulative effect of ultraviolet irradiation to the cornea. Amorphous globules of protein accumulate in the superficial stroma of the interpalpebral portion of the cornea in an entity known by numerous terms including. The condition, which initially involves the periphery of the cornea, varies in severity and increases in incidence and intensity with age and is particularly pronounced in individuals chronically exposed to excessive ultraviolet light. It is one variety of band keratopathy. Similar globules can accumulate nonspecifically in corneas with various underlying disorders ("spheroidal degeneration").