corneal oedema and keratoconus

Question 1

what are the causes of corneal oedema?

Answer 1

• Inflammation/infective, especially viral keratitis
• Trauma (e.g. post-surgical)
• Acute hydrops (keratoconus)
• Acute angle closure glaucoma (AACG)
• Endothelial dystrophy, e.g. Fuchs endothelial dystrophy

Question 2

what is the treatment for corneal oedema?

Answer 2

• Mx: Topical hypertonic saline (to draw water out of cornea), hairdryer to dehydrate precorneal tear film, therapeutic soft lenses - but only to slow down the deterioration.
• Sx: Late stage will result in corneal scarring and requires corneal transplant)

Question 3

what is keratoconus?

Answer 3

Keratoconus is a disorder of the eye which results in progressive thinning of the cornea, resulting in a cone-shaped cornea instead of the normal dome-shape.

Question 4

what are the symptoms of keratoconus?

Answer 4

• blurry vision, double vision, near sightedness, astigmatism, and light sensitivity.
• usually bilateral.

Question 5

how to manage keratoconus?

Answer 5

• Initially the condition can typically be corrected with glasses or soft contact lenses.
• The key is to not allow the condition to worsen e.g. by rubbing the eyes
• In a small number of people scarring of the cornea occurs and a corneal transplantation is required.