Corneal stromal dystrophy is, in fact, a term used to describe a number of related conditions, which cause opacification of the cornea. It is a sub division of a broader group of corneal dystrophies. The etiology is genetic, although inheritance patterns vary.
Presentation
Corneal stromal dystrophy (CSD) includes a number of disorders such as macular, granular, reticular, lattice, fleck, and congenital stroma dystrophies [1]. It is a genetic disease, and its incidence varies between different regions [2] [3]. The inheritance pattern of CSD is mostly autosomal dominant, although other patterns such as recessive or X-linked have been described. Mutations in any one of several genes, such as transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFBI), carbohydrate sulfotransferase 6 (CHST6), or keratin 3 (KRT3), lead to particular forms of CSD [4] [5]. The extent of the phenotypic expression of a mutation varies between individuals. Corneal dystrophies, in general, involve disease of the cornea, while CSD specifically affects the stroma.
CSD is characterized by corneal opacities that are often bilateral and symmetrical. These lesions are caused by the deposition of non-transparent matter, which is not preceded by a history of inflammation or trauma to the eye. The deposited material may be present as ill-defined or irregular sheet, line, ring, dot or flake shaped areas. The surrounding cornea may be clear or opacified as well.
The features of CSD are variable with regard to the degree of visual impairment, presence or absence of systemic symptoms, and the severity of symptoms. CSD is usually slowly progressive. It may manifest congenitally (for example in congenital stroma corneal dystrophy), or as late as the fourth decade of life (for example in lattice corneal dystrophy type II), although its onset is commonly during childhood (examples are macular, fleck and granular corneal dystrophy) [6]. Visual impairment is manifested as mild to severely decreased visual acuity, due to the altered corneal composition as well as reduced focusing power, although some patients such as those with fleck corneal dystrophy (FCD) suffer no loss of acuity throughout the course of the disease.
Entire Body System
- Rigor
[…] operating room for each patient Laminar flow in the operating room The use of sterile surgical fields and gloves for each patient Impeccable preparation of the surgeon : Nail polish, jewelry and other accessories are forbidden in the operating room, and rigorous [neurohope.ro]
Cardiovascular
- Vascular Disease
Clinical Pearls: • The differential diagnosis of peripheral corneal thinning includes peripheral corneal melt secondary to collagen vascular diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and polyarteritis nodosa (bilateral, typically painful and progressive to [oogziekenhuis.me]
Skin
- Photosensitivity
Rejection symptoms include decreased vision, photosensitivity, ocular ache, and ocular redness. [merckmanuals.com]
[…] that causes Meesmann dystrophy has been localized to two keratin-specific genes, KRT3 on chromosome 12q12 and KRT12 on chromosome 17q12, making Meesmann dystrophy a category 1 corneal dystrophy. 6 Treatment is initially targeted to treat the pain and photosensitivity [reviewofoptometry.com]
Eyes
- Corneal Edema
In posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy small vesicles appear at the level of Descemet membrane. Most patients remain asymptomatic and corneal edema is usually absent. [en.wikipedia.org]
In CHED (and other endothelial dystrophies like Fuchs’ dystrophy), a loss of endothelial cells results in a buildup of fluid in the corneal stroma (edema). [reviewofophthalmology.com]
Foulks GN: Treatment of recurrent corneal erosions and corneal edema with topical osmotic colloidal solution. Ophthalmology 88:801, 1981 21. [oculist.net]
For this reason, it is unclear whether PDCD is a dystrophy or degeneration. 66-68 Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) presents with corneal guttata, stromal edema and oftentimes, endothelial pigment. [reviewofcontactlenses.com]
Neurologic
- Confusion
PTK should not be confused with photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), which is used to reduce refractive error. But because corneal dystrophies affect the central cornea, the ablation procedure mimics that of myopia correction. [reviewofoptometry.com]
Although it does not seem to require treatment over time, it is important to recognize this dystrophy, avoiding confusion with other clinical conditions which require specific care and treatment. [sboportal.org.br]
Chandler’s syndrome, one of the triad in iridocorneal endothelial syndrome (ICE) can be confused with FED as its endothelial pattern has a beaten- bronze appearance with overlying corneal oedema. [aop.org.uk]
White light reveals a subtle pattern, but fluoroscein and a cobalt blue filter reveal an immediate negative staining pattern, which you should not confuse with a rapid tear break-up time (TBUT). [clspectrum.com]
The IC3D has formulated a concise, well-organized classification system that helps to clarify much of the confusion surrounding corneal dystrophies. [reviewofcontactlenses.com]
Workup
Diagnosis is usually clinical, and combines the patient's history, such as age of onset and family history of corneal stromal dystrophy, with the observation of abnormal deposits on the cornea by a slit lamp examination. This is reinforced by molecular and biochemical analysis conducted on excised corneal tissue [7] [8] [9]. These tests include:
- Molecular genetic testing and analysis: This is not only useful in confirming a suspected diagnosis, but also in establishing the correct diagnosis in unconventional clinical presentations.
- Histopathological tissue analysis under light or electron microscopy, using dyes such as Congo red and Alcian blue [6].
- In vivo confocal microscopy: This allows real time microscopic visualization of ocular structures without tissue sampling.
Genetic counseling with a focus on expected disease progression and management options may be provided to patients and their families. Although prenatal diagnosis via amniocentesis or biopsy is theoretically possible, it is not carried out as the condition is not lethal.
Serum
- Hypercholesterolemia
The disease has been linked with hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia and genu valgum in some patients (2,5,9,10). [webeye.ophth.uiowa.edu]
Systemic hypercholesterolemia is common, and arcus lipoides is usually noted between the ages of 23 and 38. Slowly progressive corneal opacification in a central discoid pattern often occurs. [reviewofcontactlenses.com]
Treatment
Treatment Treatment Options: Penetrating keratoplasty can be successful in restoring vision. Grafts have been reported to remain clear for up to 36 years in more than half of the patients in one series but opacities recurred in others. [disorders.eyes.arizona.edu]
Helps you make optimal use of the newest drug therapies, including Anti-VEGF treatment for wet ARMD and bevacizumab treatment for complications of diabetes. [books.google.com]
(c) Fine subepithelial opacities recurred 1 year after the treatment (4/11/2000). (d) Diffuse subepithelial opacities 2 years after the treatment (8/7/2002). [nature.com]
CLOSE Medical Disclaimer The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. [diseaseinfosearch.org]
Prognosis
Most importantly, genetic testing provides information about prognosis in an individual patient, counseling for families of the affected patient, risk assessment for patients who are undergoing transplantation with respect to disease recurrence, and can [eyeworld.org]
Regraft is possible, but the long-term prognosis is worse than for the original graft. Keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea) can be placed if grafts fail repeatedly. [merckmanuals.com]
Prognosis Of all the stromal corneal dystrophies, macular corneal dystrophy results in the earliest visual loss. This visual loss is due to the lack of clear spaces between the denser gray-white macular opacities. [emedicine.medscape.com]
Etiology
The etiology is genetic, although inheritance patterns vary. Corneal stromal dystrophy (CSD) includes a number of disorders such as macular, granular, reticular, lattice, fleck, and congenital stroma dystrophies. [symptoma.com]
Pathophysiology: The etiology of Terrien's marginal degeneration is poorly understood. [oogziekenhuis.me]
Etiology Fleck corneal dystrophy is caused by a mutation in the PIKFYVE gene (2q34). Diagnostic methods Lesions are mostly minute and symmetrical. [orpha.net]
Incidence/Prevalence: Macular dystrophy is much less common than BIGH3 dystrophies Etiology: Macular dystrophy exhibits an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. [missionforvisionusa.org]
Etiology There has not been a specific causal etiology described to date. [eyewiki.aao.org]
Epidemiology
Summary Epidemiology Prevalence of this form of corneal dystrophy is not known. FCD affects males and females equally. Clinical description The condition may occur throughout life and has been reported in children as young as 2 years of age. [orpha.net]
Because we only had one case of macular dystrophy, any conclusion about epidemiological data could be misleading. [scielo.br]
Epidemiology of corneal blindness in developing countries. J Refract Corneal Surg 1991; 7: 436-39. 11. W. John Armitage. Preservatin of human cornea. Transfus Med Hemother 2011; 38: 143-7. 12. [jpma.org.pk]
Zhonghua Yan Ke Za Zhi 35:268−270 PubMed Google Scholar MacCallan A (1931) The epidemiology of trachoma. Br. J. [link.springer.com]
Epidemiology Frequency United States Macular corneal dystrophy is uncommon, but areas with the highest prevalence include parts of the United States. [emedicine.medscape.com]
Pathophysiology
Further elaboration on the possible genetic, histopathologic, pathophysiologic and biochemical correlation is required to study the nature of the condition. [ojoonline.org]
Pathophysiology: The etiology of Terrien's marginal degeneration is poorly understood. [oogziekenhuis.me]
Although the pathophysiology of age-related cataracts is not fully understood, the above mentioned changes are well known to be involved in this pathology. [neurohope.ro]
The identification of the mutation responsible for the corneal dystrophy is a critical step toward understanding the pathophysiology of the formation of the deposits. [reviewofoptometry.com]
[…] dystrophy: A review. 61 Aggarwal S...Karcioglu ZA 29604391 2018 5 Long-term clinical outcome of femtosecond laser-assisted lamellar keratectomy with phototherapeutic keratectomy in anterior corneal stromal dystrophy. 61 Lee J...Moon NJ 28611133 2018 6 Pathophysiological [malacards.org]
Prevention
Prevention There are no preventive measures for corneal dystrophies, because they are genetic in origin. Genetic counseling is available for affected families and can be very helpful for support and information. [yoursightmatters.com]
Supported in part by an unrestricted departmental grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, New York. The authors thank Drs. [healio.com]
After early healing of the corneal erosion preventive treatment consists of sodium chloride 5% drops (brand name Muro 128) and artificial tear lubricating drops (e.g. [mastereyeassociates.com]
The sample was transferred at 4°C and stored in culture medium that contained Dextran to prevent swelling. During X-ray data collection the sample was wrapped in plastic membrane and was placed between Mylar windows to prevent dehydration. [journals.plos.org]
Beyond the POLARIS TGFBI test, the team in Singapore is currently working on a topical medication that will not only dissolve the aggregates in the cornea, but also prevent protein aggregation. [eyeworld.org]
References
- Weiss JS, Møller HU, Lisch W, et al. The IC3D classification of the corneal dystrophies. Cornea 2008;27 Suppl 2:S1-83.
- Pandrowala H, Bansal A, Vemuganti GK, Rao GN. Frequency, distribution, and outcome of keratoplasty for corneal dystrophies at a tertiary eye care center in South India. Cornea. 2004;23(6):541-546.
- Shah SS, Al-Rajhi A, Brandt JD, et al. Mutation in the SLC4A11 gene associated with autosomal recessive congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy in a large Saudi family. Ophthalmic Genet. 2008;29(1):41-45.
- Bron AJ. Genetics of the corneal dystrophies: what we have learned in the past twenty-five years. Cornea. 2000;19(5):699-711.
- Poulaki V, Colby K. Genetics of anterior and stromal corneal dystrophies. Semin Ophthalmol. 2008;23(1): 9-17.
- Waring GO, 3rd, M.M. Rodrigues, Laibson PR. Corneal dystrophies. I. Dystrophies of the epithelium, Bowman's layer and stroma. Surv Ophthalmol. 1978;23(2):71-122.
- Santo RM, Yamaguchi T, Kanai A, Okisaka S, Nakajima A. Clinical and histopathologic features of corneal dystrophies in Japan. Ophthalmology. 1995;102(4):557-567.
- Aldave AJ. The genetics of the corneal dystrophies. Dev Ophthalmol. 2011;48:51-66.
- Fujiki K, Nakayasu K, Kanai A. Corneal dystrophies in Japan. J Hum Genet. 2001;46(8):431-435.