The cornea is the clear front window of the eye. Many diseases, whether inherited or acquired, can affect the clarity of the cornea. This may manifest itself as blurred vision, discomfort, red or watery eye.
Common examples include
- Dry eye syndromes
- keratoconus
Keratoconus
Keratoconus is an eye condition in which the normally round dome-shaped cornea progressively thins causing a cone-like bulge to develop. This result in visual impairment. Symptoms include:
- blurring
- distortion of vision
- sensitivity to light
Who gets keratoconus?
Keratoconus has been estimated to occur in 1 out of every 2,000 persons in the general population. It has no known geographic, cultural and social patterns.
Keratoconus tends to appear first in teenagers. It may progress for many years before slowing or stabilizing. Each eye may be affected differently.
It is not known precisely what causes keratoconus. It does have a genetic basis (i.e patients may have other family members with the same condition), but it is also associated with other diseases such as Down’s syndrome.
How is keratoconus treated?
In the early stages, spectacle glasses or soft contact lenses can correct the vision. As the disorder progresses and the cornea continues to change shape, rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses are used. These contact lenses must be carefully fitted, and frequent checkups and lens changes may be needed to maintain good vision.
Corneal collagen crosslinking is regularly used to halt the progression of keratoconus. Click on the animation below to learn how crosslinking works.
In severe cases, a corneal transplant may be needed due to scarring, extreme thinning or contact lens intolerance. This is a surgical procedure that replaces the keratoconus cornea with a healthy donor tissue. Corneal transplants are the most successful transplant procedures compared to other transplants (such as heart, liver and kidney).
