Ocular infiltrates may also include which mineral or lipid components?

• A. Mineral/lipid
• B. Water
• C. Glucose
• D. Collagen

Answer: (A)

Ocular infiltrates are more than just inflammatory cells and fluid—they can carry additional material from the inflammatory process. Mineral deposits, such as calcium (calcific deposits) or phosphate, can become embedded in an infiltrate, especially in chronic inflammation. Lipid material can also accumulate as lipid droplets or cholesterol crystals within inflammatory exudates or in certain inflammatory eye diseases. This is why mineral or lipid components are a plausible and common part of infiltrates. Water, glucose, and collagen don’t reflect what infiltrates are typically composed of: water is just part of normal tissue fluid, glucose is a metabolic substrate, and collagen is a structural protein of the extracellular matrix rather than a deposit within an inflammatory infiltrate.