Corneal opacity 05/09/2013
The cornea is the anterior structure of the eye. It is made up of a transparent, avascular tissue and its main feature is its transparency, which allows light and images to pass through to the inside of the eye.
Any loss of substance, either through trauma, inflammation (keratitis), infection, dystrophy or corneal degeneration can result in corneal opacity which significantly reduces eyesight. Advanced keratoconus can deform the cornea, leading to images being severely distorted.
In these cases, treatment consists of replacing the damaged cornea (corneal transplant).
However, phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) may be enough in those cases where the corneal opacity is only superficial.
Related treatments
· Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK)
Author
Dr. Paula Verdaguer, M.D. PhD
COMB license number: 40.737
Ophthalmologist
Specialising in cornea, refractive surgery and cataracts