Arcus senilis (or Arcus senilis corneae. Latin: senile bow) is a type of corneal arcus, a peripheral corneal opacity. It is a whitish discoloration of the peripheral cornea - a cloudy complete or partial arc, highly visible over the iris. It is caused by the deposition of phospholipid and cholesterol granules in the corneal stroma (or substantia propria) and usually occurs bilaterally and symmetrically. It is most often found in the elderly, hence the name. It can be a sign of disturbance in lipid metabolism, an indicator of conditions such as hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipoproteinemia or hyperlipidemia. A unilateral arcus is a sign of carotid artery disease or ocular hypotony. Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The cornea is the curved, transparent layer that covers the front part of the eye and protects its inner structures. ... IRIS is a Romanian hard rock band. ... Two schematic representations of a phospholipid. ... Cholesterol is a steroid lipid, found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. ... Figure 1: Structure of a Lipid. ... Hypercholesterolemia (literally: high blood cholesterol) is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. ... Hyperlipoproteinemia is the presence of elevated levels of lipoprotein in the blood. ... Hypercholesterolemia (literally: high blood cholesterol) is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. ...

In younger individuals the condition is called Arcus juvenilis.