Corneal Diseases of the Eye | Keratoconus, Fuchs' Endothelial Dystrophy, Bullous Keratopathy

Corneal diseases and Abnormalities

The cornea is the eye’s clear, outermost surface, at the front of the eye

Corneal diseases are serious and can result in clouding, distortion, scarring, and even blindness. The three major types of corneal disease include: keratoconus, Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy, and bullous keratopathy.

What is Keratoconus?

Keratoconus is the misshaping of the cornea, leading to it bulging out. This can distort how light is focused within the eye, resulting in impaired vision.

The causes behind keratoconus is a mystery, although in some cases, genetics seems to play a role.

What is Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy?
This disorder is a hereditary abnormality of the inner cell layer of the cornea called the endothelium. Which pumps fluid out of the cornea, keeping it thin and clear. If these fluids are not pumped out the cornea may expeirence swelling, causing it to become cloudy, decreasing a person's vision.

What is Bullous keratopathy?
Similar to Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy, this is a condition that impacts the endothelium, where fluid can not be pumped out properly. Causing the cornea to become permanently swollen.

The most common causes of corneal disease include.

Infection
Age
Eye surgery
Heredity
Eye trauma
and Systemic diseases