Purpose: West Indies Punctate Keratopathy (WIPK) consists of small asymptomatic stromal opacities commonly found in individuals from the Caribbean. Lack of familiarity with WIPK may lead to unnecessary tests and treatments for a benign condition. This study describes the demographics and clinical features of WIPK in Brooklyn, New York, a borough with a large Caribbean population. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of patients diagnosed with WIPK at Kings County Hospital and SUNY Downstate clinics between June 2020 and June 2025. All had white, round corneal lesions at the anterior stroma. Demographics, medical history, and lesion characteristics were collected. Continuous data were analyzed using independent samples T test. Categorical data were analyzed using chi-square tests. Univariate linear regression models assessed associations between age, years lived in endemic regions, and lesion count. Results: Forty patients were included in this study, 55% male (n = 22), with a mean age of 65.7 ± 13.4 years and average of 38.4 ± 17.7 years living in the tropics. The mean lesion count was 2.5 ± 1.7 lesions. 40% (n = 16) of patients had lesions in their right eye exclusively, 40% (n = 16) left eye, and 20% (n = 8) bilaterally. Most patients were diabetic (n = 23, 57.5%). Lesion count correlated positively with years lived in endemic regions ( P = 0.030) but not with age ( P = 0.310). Conclusions: WIPK is a benign condition prevalent in the Brooklyn Caribbean population. Lesion numbers correlates with years spent in endemic regions but not with age or medical history. Greater clinician awareness may prevent unnecessary testing or treatment.
Ojalvo et al. (Mon,) studied this question.