# Yellowish spots onthe eyes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellowish-spots-onthe-eyes/52586>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 31, 2001, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellowish-spots-onthe-eyes/52586 "2001-01-31T18:06:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellowish-spots-onthe-eyes/52586/1 "2001-01-31T18:06:24Z")

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I’ve noticed on various people yellowish (fatty-looking) flecks on the whites of the eyes. What are they–just fatty deposits? And what causes them? They are raised, but still under the outer layer of the eyeball tissue.

Any ideas???

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellowish-spots-onthe-eyes/52586/2 "2001-01-31T21:59:50Z")

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Is it this?

[http://home.earthlink.net/~odiehog/Spots.htm](http://home.earthlink.net/~odiehog/Spots.htm)

Sometimes you get those yellow spots and it doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes you get them and it’s a symptom of something more serious.

[http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual\_home/sec12/139.htm](http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/sec12/139.htm)

> [@](#):
>
> Gaucher’s Disease  
> Gaucher’s disease is a hereditary disorder that leads to an accumulation of glucocerebrosides, a product of fat metabolism.
> 
> The genetic abnormality that causes Gaucher’s disease is recessive; an affected person must inherit two abnormal genes to develop symptoms. This disease leads to enlargement of the liver and spleen and a brownish pigmentation of the skin. Accumulations of glucocerebrosides in the eyes cause yellow spots called pingueculae to appear. Accumulations in the bone marrow can cause pain.
> 
> Most people who have Gaucher’s disease develop type 1, the adult chronic form, which results in an enlarged liver and spleen and bone abnormalities.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yellowish-spots-onthe-eyes/52586/3 "2001-01-31T22:22:38Z")

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Sounds like textbook cases of pinguecula.