Asymmetric Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease during which the cornea thins
and changes shape, affecting the way light enters the eye and causing
distorted vision. While causes of keratoconus are unclear, the disease
usually manifests itself in the teens or early 20s, and may be caused
by a genetic link.
Asymmetric keratoconus refers to the characteristics of the disease,
which cause diagnosis in one eye to occur five years earlier than diagnosis
in the second eye. Because the disease is progressive - worsening over
time - it is not unusual for the eyes to be affected asymmetrically,
with one eye maintaining strength for longer than the other. With asymmetric
keratoconus, the disease process is usually active for five to 10 years
after its initial symptoms appear. Although change can be rapid during
this active period, asymmetric keratoconus then often stabilizes for
many years.
In the disease's early stages, glasses or contact lenses may be used to
treat keratoconus. As the disease progresses, however, they will no longer
help correct vision. Rigid contact lenses can then be used to help hold
the cornea in place. If these cease to work, cornea transplant surgery
or penetrative keratoplasty are two surgical options to treat the affected
cornea. LASIK or other laser surgery may be dangerous to a patient with
asymmetric keratoconus and should not be performed. Other surgical options
are being examined.
Keratoconus Topics
Keratoconus, Asymmetric Keratoconus
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