GLOSSARY

The Boston Scleral Lens

The Boston Scleral Lens is a specially designed contact lens device that provides a non-surgical means of restoring vision in eyes affected by corneal disorders. The lens is about the size of a quarter; it rests on the insensitive white part of the eye (the sclera) and arches over the damaged cornea, thereby creating a space that is filled with soothing, artificial tears. This fluid reservoir masks the distortion created by the irregular surface of diseased corneas to improve vision and functions as a unique liquid bandage that reduces pain and photosensitivity.
The lens is made of highly oxygen-porous plastic which allows the cornea to breathe.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis typically affect children and young adults. These diseases may be triggered by medications. The most common are sulfa-based drugs. but medications as common as aspirin and ibuprofen have also been implicated. This potentially devastating disease is also associated with viral illnesses. In some cases, no cause can be identified.

In the acute phase, which may be life threatening, these patients suffer from severe, burn-like lesions all over the body. As with burn patients, it takes many months for these to heal. Following the resolution of the acute phase, as many as half of these patients suffer from chronic eye disease.

Chronic pain and severe, disabling light sensitivity are the hallmarks of the eye disease associated with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. These symptoms are due to damage of the protective mucous membranes of the eyes. Each blink rubs the coarse, sand paper like mucous membrane of the inner lid over the cornea. Eyelashes grow in toward the eye, and glands providing tears are destroyed.

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a disease of the cornea that affects young people, often in their late teens or early twenties. It causes a thinning and distortion of the normally round corneal surface of both eyes. The cornea is the most important focusing and refracting surface of the eye and any distortion of this surface results in extremely poor vision that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses.

Think of the normal cornea as a smooth clear windowpane made of high quality glass. Now think of the cornea with keratoconus as a windowpane with poor quality glass that distorts everything seen through it.

Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid

Ocular pemphigoid is a condition of progressive shrinking and inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelids and is continued over the front of the eyeball. It occurs more in older patients. Sometimes skin blisters are seen, and blisters can be seen inside the mouth.

Pellucid Marginal Degeneration

Pellucid corneal degeneration is a bilateral, noninflammatory, peripheral corneal thinning disorder characterized by a peripheral band of thinning of the cornea, usually inferiorly. The cornea in and adjacent to the thinned area is ectatic.

Dry eye syndrome

Dry eye syndrome is the decline of the quality and quantity of tears bathing the eye and is often associated with a low-grade inflammation of the tear glands and the eye's surface tissues. This condition causes pain (dryness) and, in some cases, photosensitivity. Corneal ulceration and scarring can occur, rarely, in extremely severe cases such as dry eyes associated with graft versus host disease. The patient experiences constant pain from eye irritation, and a sandy or gritty sensation that, if untreated, can lead to scarring or ulceration of the cornea, and thus loss of vision.

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Glossary

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