KERATOCONUS

Keratoconus is a disease of the cornea, the front surface of the eye.  In this condition, the cornea gradually distorts, causing a bulging and thinning of the cornea.  In its early stages, the visual changes can be corrected with either spectacles or contact lenses.  As the disease progresses, rigid gas permeable lenses are required for improvement of vision.  At the point when contact lenses either can no longer be tolerated or the vision is no longer satisfactory, then INTACS prescription inserts or a cornea transplant is necessary.

Corneal mapping, or topography, has become the standard method to detect keratoconus.  This computerized system takes thousands of image points and is transformed into a color coded map of the cornea.

The cause of keratoconus is unknown, but there is often a history of allergy or atopy, as well as a family history.  In most people keratoconus begins during their teen years and slowly worsens.  The incidence is approximately 1 in 2,000 people.

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