Keratoconus is a common disorder involving the cornea of the eye, where the cornea becomes distorted and thinned, causing a blurred image. It typically involves young people in their early to mid-teens. Family members of keratoconus patients should be screened from puberty to detect the abnormality at an early stage. Another risk factor for keratoconus is eye allergies and rubbing of the eye. In the early stages, one may experience mildly blurred vision. The hallmark is a rapidly changing spectacle prescription with increasing astigmatism. As the astigmatism becomes worse, spectacles will fail to correct vision fully and hard contact lenses will be advocated to allow for clear vision. In advanced cases, a corneal transplant may be required.
When young people are diagnosed with keratoconus, or if there are signs of progression in an older person, corneal collagen cross-linking is indicated. This is a rooms-based procedure which takes about an hour and is successful in 90-95% of treatments in stopping further progression of the keratoconus.
If you suspect you have keratoconus, or have a family member with the disorder, a consultation with corneal topography will diagnose or exclude the disorder. Please contact us for a consultation.