Common Symptoms and Causes of Corneal Disease

Corneal distress can be caused by a variety of diseases, disorders and dystrophies; it can also be caused by an injury or an unexpected consequence of ocular surgery.

Corneal disease strikes people of all ages, genders, races and nationalities. In the early stages, you may have no symptoms, or your symptoms may be so mild that you do not notice them.

The following are some of the more common symptoms of corneal distress:

• Eye pain
• Dry eyes
• Excessive tearing
• Photophobia (extreme light sensitivity)
• Eye redness or eye inflammation
• Blurry vision

Some of the more common causes of corneal distress are listed to the left. Please click these titles for more information.

Indications

Ocular Surface Disease

Severe Dry Eye Disease/Dry Eye Syndrome

• Ocular chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD)
• Sjögren's syndrome
• History of LASIK or other refractive surgery

Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency

• Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis syndrome (TENS)
• Aniridia
• Cicatrical conjunctivitis/ ocular cicatrical pemphigoid
• Chemical/thermal injury

Epidermal Ocular Disorders

• Godenhar's syndrome
• Ectodermal dysplasia
• Atopy
• Epidermolysis bullosa

Neurotrophic Keratitis

• Congenital Corneal Anesthesia (CCA)
             • Familial dysautonomia
             • Trigeminal nerve dysfunction
             • Moebius syndrome
• Acquired Neurotrophic Keratitis
             • Herpes zoster (shingles)
             • Herpes simplex (ocular herpes)
             • Trigeminal nerve dysfunction
             • Post-surgical

Corneal Exposure/Lagophthalmos

• Anatomic
• Paralytic
• Acoustic neuroma

Corneal Ectasia/Irregular Astigmatism

Corneal Degenerations and Dystrophies

• Keratoconus
• Keratoglobus
• Pellucid marginal degeneration
• Terrien's marginal degeneration
• Salzmann’s nodular degeneration
• Meesmann’s corneal dystrophy (juvenile hereditary epithelial dystrophy)

Post Operative Astigmatism

• Cornea transplant (penetrating keratoplasty or PK, PKP)
• Radial keratotomy (RK)
• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)
• Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK)
• Epikeratophakia
• LASIK
• Open globe injury

Corneal Scarring

• After trauma
• After infection

Please be aware that we cannot help everyone with complex corneal disease, nor can we help everyone with one of the conditions listed on this webpage. The determination of an individual's potential suitability for our treatment can only be made by a medical professional who is in posession of the patient's medical history.