 |
| WHAT
IS KERATOCONUS? |
|
KERATOCONUS
IS A CONDITION WHERE THE NORMAL ROUNDED SHAPE OF THE
cornea becomes distorted and a cone-like bulge develops. This
distortion causes significant visual impairment through blurring
and clouding of sight. The progression generally occurs gradually
and can stop at various stages leaving mild to severe impairment.
As keratoconus develops over time, the cornea bulges and thins,
which can cause irregularity and scarring. |
|
WHAT
CAUSES KERATOCONUS?
There are several scientific theories to this condition, although
the cause is still unknown. One viewpoint is that keratoconus
is genetic in origin and is a consequence of abnormal growth
or a congenital defect. Another view is that it is a degenerative
condition. A third perspective offers the theory that kerato-
conus is secondary to a disease process. This speculation occurred
due to children with Down's syndrome, who usually have both
eyes affected. Another hypothesis suggests involvement of the
endocrine system since there is credence in the disease appearing
at the onset of puberty. |
|
| Studies support
hereditary influences, which illustrate that 13% of patients
have other family members with the disease. Unless successive
generations of your family have this condition, evidence suggests
that there is only a 1 in 10 chance of your offspring having
some degree of keratoconus. |
|
WHO
GETS KERATOCONUS?
Approximately 1 in every 2000 persons in the general population
will develop this condition. Keratoconus is not a common eye
disease, but it is not rare either. The disease tends to appear
at the onset of puberty or in the later teenage years. It is
found in United States, as well as through out the world, without
regard to any known significance in geographic, cultural or
social pattern.
>
Return to top |
|
SYMPTOMS?
The first sign of keratoconus is a blurring and distortion in
vision. In the early stages of the condition, frequent eyeglass
prescriptions for changes in near- sightedness and astigmatism
correction can improve vision. The continued thinning of the
cornea progresses slowly for 5 to 10 years and generally tends
to stop. On occasion, if progression is rapid and develops into
the advanced stage, a patient can develop clouding of vision
in one eye that clears over a period of a week or months. The
clouding or "acute hydrops" is caused by a sudden infusion of
fluid into the stretched cornea. In advanced cases, the central
part of the corneal bulge can form superficial scarring impairing
vision.
> Return
to top |
|
HOW
IS KERATOCONUS TREATED?
In the early stages of keratoconus, mild myopia (nearsightedness)
and astigmatism can be treated with eyeglasses to correct vision.
As the condition progresses, causing additional thinning and
bulging of cornea, contact lenses are a better method for managing
distorted vision formed by more pronounced astigmatism. In severe
cases, a corneal transplant may be necessary.
>
Return to top |
|
Contact
Lenses
To address the distortion created by keratoconus, several designs
of contact lenses have been used in treatment. The most common
form of contact lenses used for this condition is the Rigid
Gas Permeable (RGP) lens. |
|
RGP lenses are
ideal due to a number of reasons:
|
 They
can be customized to the unique shape of the eye correcting
almost all of the myopia
and
astigmatism associated with keratoconus. |
|
| They
provide oxygen to the cornea through the permeable surface. |
|
| RGP
lenses are easy to insert, remove and clean. |
|
Other forms
of contact lens treatment are also available. These include
custom soft contact lenses, piggyback lenses using a RGP lens
worn over a soft lens and large scleral lenses. Frequent check-ups
and lens changes due to the subtle and unpredictable changes
caused by keratoconus to the cornea are necessary to correct
vision distortion.
> Return to top |
Our Practice l Services
l Publications l Map
& Directions l Contact Us
l Privacy Policy
Cataracts
l Cornea and External Diseases l Corneal
Transplants l Refractive Errors
Refractive Surgery l Optics
All contents © copyright 2002-2004
Corneal Consultants of Colorado, P.C. All rights reserved.
Development by Mindshare
HDV.
|
![Refractived [Vision] Errors](images/ccc_nav_ref_vision_er.gif){kind=small}
