Kerato conus: Disease deforming cornea
Be Known to Deadly Eye Disorder
Hits at early teenage and
no full treatment available
About: Keratoconus is a non inflammatory disease of the cornea which can cause a central thinning of the corneal tissues. This usually occurs sometime in the early teenage years. The thinned part of the cornea then starts to bulge forwards. When this happens, the cornea is no longer a regular shape, instead it becomes irregular and cone shaped causing the eye to become myopic and astigmatic. This then produces blurred and distorted vision.
The rate of change is very variable at first. Generally the later the onset of the
condition the more slowly it progresses and the earlier it appears to stabilize. The rate of progression varies between the two eyes, one eye may be badly affected whilst the other eye may show little or no changes at all. Keratoconus can also be associated with certain medical conditions.
Incidence: Keratoconus is a rare disease. The incidence varies between 1 and 600 per 100,000 M:F=6:4
Etiology: no known cause It does however have associations with certain medical conditions such as asthma, eczema (atopy) and systemic collagen disease. The role of inheritance has not been clearly defined and most patients do not have a positive family history.
Treatment:
There is no medical treatment of keratoconus.Spectacles in the beginning helpfulLater only contact lenses.
The contact lenses are of the rigid gas permeable type. This type of lens is chosen in order to allow oxygen to pass through the lens to the cornea reducing adverse physiological effects. The lenses are rigid to provide a new regular optical surface to replace the conical cornea. Soft lenses are generally of little use in the correction of keratoconus. Other types of lenses may occasionally be used.
As the condition is progressive, the contact lenses may require modification to maintain a good and stable fit. All contact lens wear does carry a risk of complications. It is important for patients to follow the advice given to them by their contact lens practitioner and to attend for regular appointments as and when requested.
Most patients manage very well with contact lenses. However some patients will require a corneal transplant (penetrating keratoplasty) This is usually due to poor lens tolerance, poor lens fit and/or poor vision with contact lenses. If you require a corneal transplant, the procedure and implications of this option will be discussed in detail by one of our corneal specialists.
Note:
Keratoconus is not a painful condition although some initial discomfort is usually experienced when patients are adapting to contact lens wear. Late stage keratoconus can cause a sudden onset of pain and a drastic drop in vision. This usually resolves itself within three months.
PROGNOSIS:In any one individual it is difficult to predict how rapid the condition will progress. What is certain is that keratoconus does not cause blindness. Contact lenses do not halt or slow the progression of the disease but they do provide a good level of vision to enable most patients to continue with their normal daily lives.