Scarring and clouding of the cornea
Summary/Definition
Corneal opacity is a condition in which the cornea loses its transparency for various reasons. Scars on the cornea arise as a result of damage to this tissue, in most cases due to injury or inflammation, and replace the damaged area of the cornea with scar tissue, which is accompanied by an irreversible loss of its transparency.
There are many factors that cause corneal opacity and scarring, and most of them are caused by inflammatory processes or injuries.
Corneal opacity caused by infection develops when the cornea ulcerates or becomes inflamed and is replaced by corneal tissue. This condition is accompanied by deterioration of vision, which is one of the most important causes of blindness.
Corneal opacity caused by trauma occurs in the presence of corneal tissue damage and the development of inflammation under the influence of external forces or the presence of foreign bodies. If a foreign body that has damaged the cornea is left unattended for a long time, then even after its removal, a brown ring may remain on the cornea.
When the cornea ruptures, accompanied by damage to the corneal stroma, an uneven deposition of collagen fibers occurs in the corneal stroma, which can cause turbidity of this tissue.
If acidic or alkaline substances get into the eye, corneal opacity may occur, caused by damage to corneal cells and deformation of the corneal stroma.
Moreover, although such cases are rare, corneal opacity may also occur during photorefractive keratectomy, for example, LASIK or LASEK, for vision correction.
Symptoms
The main symptom is visual impairment, and the degree of vision loss may vary depending on the degree of opacity. If the corneal opacity is limited to the limb (the edge of the cornea, excluding the center), symptoms may be absent, but vision may deteriorate due to ametropia and improper astigmatism.
Diagnostics
To diagnose this condition, biomicroscopy of the eye can be performed using a slit lamp, a standard procedure in ophthalmology. This procedure allows you to determine the nature of the disease (acute or chronic), the location of corneal opacity, the severity of symptoms and identify a possible concomitant disease. In some cases, additional diagnostic studies may be required to determine the cause of corneal opacity.
Treatment and course of the disease
In the acute phase of the disease, the primary disease is treated in order to reduce the opacity of the cornea and scars. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids are used for helping to reduce the infiltration and proliferation of inflammatory cells, reduce the production of inflammatory mediators and prevent the formation of new blood vessels, thereby preventing the development and progression of corneal opacity. Keratoplasty can be used as a method of treating persistent corneal opacity and scarring. However, if the corneal opacity and scars are stable and do not affect the optical axis, they may not require treatment if they are not accompanied by abnormal astigmatism and symptoms of vision loss.
