Introduction to Corneal Disorders

Symptoms that suggest corneal involvement (eg, rather than simple conjunctivitis) include unilateral involvement, pain (foreign body sensation and ache—not just a gritty sensation), particularly with exposure to light (photophobia), and decreased visual acuity.

Corneal disorders include the following:

• Bullous keratopathy

• Cogan syndrome

• Corneal ulcer

• Herpes simplex keratitis

• Herpes zoster ophthalmicus

• Interstitial keratitis

• Keratoconjunctivitis sicca

• Keratoconus

• Keratomalacia

• Peripheral ulcerative keratitis

• Phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis

• Superficial punctate keratitis

• Corneal transplantation (a treatment)

slit lamp examination, and sometimes microbial studies. Patients with symptoms or evidence of keratitis should be referred to an ophthalmologist.