Background

Condition Lookup

Category:

Corneal Disorders

Number of Conditions: 4

Acanthamoeba Keratitis

Specialty: Ophthalmology

Category: Corneal Disorders

Symptoms:
severe eye pain; red eyes; blurry vision; light sensitivity

Root Cause:
Acanthamoeba infection of the cornea, often linked to improper contact lens hygiene.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Corneal scraping and culture, confocal microscopy.

Treatment:
Antimicrobial drops (Chlorhexidine or PHMB), corneal transplant if severe.

Medications:
Antimicrobial eye drops (e.g., Polyhexamethylene biguanide, Chlorhexidine ), antifungals (e.g., Voriconazole ).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; primarily affects contact lens users.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Poor lens hygiene, swimming or showering with lenses, corneal trauma.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Treatable if detected early; advanced cases may require corneal transplant.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Severe corneal scarring, vision loss, blindness.

Keratitis

Specialty: Ophthalmology

Category: Corneal Disorders

Symptoms:
eye pain; red eyes; blurry vision; light sensitivity; discharge from eyes

Root Cause:
Inflammation of the cornea caused by infection, injury, or contact lens misuse.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Slit-lamp examination and corneal scraping for culture.

Treatment:
Antibiotic, antiviral, or antifungal eye drops depending on the cause.

Medications:
Antibiotic eye drops (e.g., Moxifloxacin ), antifungals (e.g., Natamycin ), or antivirals (e.g., Ganciclovir for viral keratitis).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common among contact lens users; incidence varies globally.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Contact lens misuse, trauma to the cornea, immune suppression.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Treatable with early intervention; severe cases may result in vision loss.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Corneal scarring, perforation, vision loss.

Corneal Ulcer

Specialty: Ophthalmology

Category: Corneal Disorders

Symptoms:
eye pain; red eyes; blurry vision; white spot on cornea; discharge from eyes

Root Cause:
An open sore on the cornea caused by infection or trauma.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Slit-lamp examination, corneal scraping for culture.

Treatment:
Antibiotic eye drops, antifungal eye drops, and avoiding contact lenses during treatment.

Medications:
Antibiotic eye drops (e.g., Ciprofloxacin , Ofloxacin ).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
More common in developing countries due to infection.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Contact lens misuse, trauma, immune suppression.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Treatable with early intervention; severe cases can lead to vision loss.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Corneal scarring, perforation, blindness.

Keratoconus

Specialty: Ophthalmology

Category: Corneal Disorders

Symptoms:
blurry vision; distorted vision; light sensitivity

Root Cause:
Progressive thinning and bulging of the cornea into a cone shape.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Corneal topography mapping the curvature of the cornea.

Treatment:
Rigid gas-permeable lenses, corneal cross-linking, or corneal transplant in severe cases.

Medications:
No medications; riboflavin (Vitamin B2) with UV light for corneal collagen cross-linking.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 1 in 2,000 people; more common in adolescents and young adults.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history, chronic eye rubbing, Down syndrome.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Progressive condition; severe cases may require corneal transplant.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Severe astigmatism, corneal scarring, vision loss.