Corneal dystrophy

A condition in which one or more parts of the cornea lose their normal clarity due to a buildup of cloudy material.

There are over 20 corneal dystrophies that affect all parts of the cornea.</P> These diseases share many traits: > >They are usually inherited.

>They affect the right and left eyes equally.

>They are not caused by outside factors, such as injury or diet.

>Most progress gradually.

>Most usually begin in one of the five corneal layers and may later spread to nearby layers.

>Most do not affect other parts of the body, nor are they related to diseases affecting other parts of the eye or body.

>Most can occur in otherwise totally healthy people.

</LI></UL> Corneal dystrophies affect vision in widely differing ways.

Some cause severe visual impairment, while a few cause no vision problems and are discovered during a routine eye examination.

Other dystrophies may cause repeated episodes of pain without leading to permanent loss of vision.

See also: Cogan corneal dystrophy, epithelial basement corneal dystrophy, Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, keratoconus, lattice dystrophy, map-dot-fingerprint type corneal dystrophy, and microcystic corneal dystrophy.