Corneal dystrophy

Corneal dystrophy is a group of disorders, characterised by a noninflammatory, inherited, bilateral opacity of the transparent front part of the eye called the cornea.

The distrophies could be subdivided based on specie affected:

Signs and symptoms

Corneal dystrophy may not significantly affect vision in the early stages. However, it does require proper evaluation and treatment for restoration of optimal vision. It can, however, rarely cause corneal ulceration, especially with epithelial dystrophy. It appears as grayish white lines, circles, or clouding of the cornea. Corneal dystrophy can also have a crystalline appearance.

Pathophysiology

A corneal dystrophy can be caused by an accumulation of extraneous material in the cornea - it can be in the form of lipids or cholesterol crystals.

Classification

Corneal dystrophies are commonly subdivided depending on its specific location within the cornea. It can be basically divided into anterior, stromal, or posterior according to the layer of the cornea affected by the dystrophy. [1] [2]

Treatment

Suboptimal vision caused by corneal dystrophy usually requires surgical intervention in the form of corneal transplantation. Penetrating keratoplasty is commonly performed for extensive corneal dystrophy.

Prognosis

Early stages may be asymptomatic and may not require any intervention. Initial treatment may include hypertonic eyedrops and/or ointment to reduce the corneal edema and may offer symptomatic improvement prior to surgical intervention. With penetrating keratoplasty (corneal transplant), the long term results are good-excellent. Recent surgical improvements have been made which have increased the success rate for this procedure. However, recurrence of the disease in the donor graft is not ruled out.

Corneal endothelial dystrophy

Corneal endothelial dystrophy is an age-related change that affects the inner layer of the corneal, the endothelium.

References

External links

Facts About the Cornea and Corneal Disease The National Eye Institute (NEI)