Background: Ligneous conjunctivitis is a rare acute or subacute membranous conjunctivitis of unknown etiology for which no generally accepted form of treatment is available.
Methods: Between 1972 and 1993, 17 patients with ligneous conjunctivitis were treated with excision biopsy, meticulous hemostasis, and immediate, intensive topical treatment with heparin, steroids, and, in 12 patients, alpha-chymotrypsin until all signs of conjunctival inflammation had subsided.
Results: On histologic examination, the lesions consisted of subepithelial deposits of fibrin in all patients. Eight patients had no recurrence (mean follow-up, 33.1 months) and in four patients the conjunctivitis was controlled after one repeat excision and topical treatment (mean follow-up, 40.3 months). One patient had three recurrences before responding to treatment (follow-up, 24 months). In four patients, treatment was unsuccessful, although lesion-free intervals were longer than usually seen in this condition (mean, 7.8 months).
Conclusion: These results suggest that intensive and early use of topical heparin may improve therapy results in ligneous conjunctivitis.