Keratoconus (keratoconus) is an ocular condition in which the normal structure – shaped cornea progressively thins, creating a cone-type cornea.
The progressive thinning of the cornea affects the quality of vision. Most often affects and 2 eyes (bilaterally) and advanced possible to detect even with the naked eye (without microscope).
The disorder usually makes its appearance in young adults and affects the most productive years of life of a human.
Early characterized as progressively evolving irregular astigmatism temporarily can be corrected with glasses.
Subsequently the disease may be accompanied by moderate and severe decline of vision.
One of the main causes, without fully aposafimistei is heredity. It has been found that keratoconus occurs in 1 out of 2000 people in the general population.
The main symptoms of the disease are:
Photophobia (light sensitivity)
Distorted vision
Blurred vision
Reduction in visual acuity
Treatments:
- Glasses or contact lenses: used in the early stages of the disease, mainly to restore refractive errors (eg myopia or irregular astigmatism). But while the disease progresses, soon such means are ineffective.
A high percentage of patients make use of semi-hard or hard semipermeable keratoconus lenses for years
- ICRS – Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments: introduction interlamellar corneal rings.
- Corneal Collagen Cross Linking (CXL): an innovative therapy with encouraging results using photosynthetic agents, such as riboflavin (vitamin B12) and ultraviolet UV-A (collagen interface UV – links multiply between beams collagen corneal and thus strengthens the robustness-strength-hardness)
- Corneal transplantation (keratoplasty) partial or total thickness