Canine Conjunctiva: Diseases and Surgery

The conjunctiva is associated with many adnexal and bulbar diseases because of its exposure and close proximity to ocular structures. This chapter discusses canine conjunctival diseases and the surgical procedures for treatment of conjunctival diseases. The cause of conjunctival disease can often be determined solely on the basis of history and complete ophthalmic examination. Cytologic examination of scrapings from normal conjunctiva reveals sheets of epithelial cells with large, round, homogeneous nuclei and abundant cytoplasm. Infectious conjunctivitis indicates the association with specific pathogens and is uncommon in the dog. Allergic conjunctivitis occurs frequently in the dog and is often a component of atopic dermatitis. The paucity of large studies and case reports, however, supports the clinical impression that conjunctival neoplasia occurs infrequently in the dog. Melanomas of the conjunctiva most commonly involve the nictitating membrane (NM), but they have also been reported to originate from the upper palpebral conjunctiva.