Maximizing the health of the ocular surface by aggressively treating eyelid disease is imperative in order to minimize RCE.

3 There are multiple treatment strategies for RCE, including palliative therapy such as drops and ointments (eg, sodium chloride and polyvinyl alcohol and povidone ). 1,2 When a patient presents with a corneal abrasion, it is important to examine the contralateral eye, as 50% of patients with RCE will exhibit EBMD in the fellow eye. Areas of negative staining seen on slit-lamp examination reveal EBMD.Īpproximately 10% of patients with EBMD will experience recurrent corneal erosion (RCE). For now, the basic review provided in this article is intended to supplement any information gaps in your existing knowledge of corneal dystrophies.įigure 1. There is an emerging molecular science that will ultimately reconfigure our understanding and classification of these conditions. They are caused by abnormal cellular metabolism and eventually affect the clarity of the cornea. The optometrist is frequently the first health care provider to see these patients, and we are well equipped to diagnose and manage these conditions.Ĭorneal dystrophies are all inherited, bilateral, noninflammatory, nonvascularized, slowly progressive, and unassociated with systemic disease. They are a group of hereditary corneal diseases typically classified by the anatomic layer that is affected (Table). Because optometrists are positioned to frequently encounter corneal dystrophies, it is important for them to be able to diagnose, identify, and manage these conditions.Ĭorneal dystrophies are commonly encountered in the optometric practice.Although macular corneal dystrophy is the least common stromal dystrophy, it affects visual acuity most significantly of all the stromal dystrophies.The most common corneal dystrophy is epithelial basement membrane dystrophy.

Map dot fingerprint dystrophy