Todo lo que debes saber sobre el queratocono

24 February 2022

Keratoconus is a progressive disease of the cornea, which is the front, transparent part of the eye. It is a degeneration that causes thinning and deformity in the cornea, which takes on the shape of a cone, and causes gradual loss of vision.

Causes

Currently there are no definitive studies that explain the causes of this disease. However, keratoconus has a genetic component and a genetic predisposition, therefore it is important that immediate family members – siblings and children – see an ophthalmologist for an eye exam prior to an initial diagnosis of keratoconus.

Keratoconus is closely related to rubbing your eyes, either consciously or unconsciously, for example: sleeping on your stomach with your eyes closed on your knuckles.

It is also related to the presence of allergies, mainly eye allergies, since itching often occurs when rubbing the eyes. For this reason, it is important to ask the patient or family members if they rub their eyes and why; start treatment if there are eye allergies; and stop rubbing your eyes altogether.

Symptoms

The most common symptom associated with keratoconus is blurred or distorted vision. Signs and symptoms may change as the disease progresses:

increased sensitivity to reflections and glare, which can cause problems when driving at night;
the need to change your eyeglass prescription frequently;
sudden deterioration of vision.
The pathology does not always appear in both eyes at the same time, and each eye can evolve differently.

Treatment

Treatment will vary depending on the stage of the disease, the age of the patient and the progression of the disease.

In the initial stage, with minimal or low corneal deformation, ophthalmic glasses or contact lenses are recommended to correct vision.

If disease progression is confirmed –especially in young people with good vision– treatment with ultraviolet light and vitamin B12 drops (crosslinking) can be performed. This treatment "hardens" the cornea, preventing further deformation, stopping its progression and preserving vision.

In advanced cases, with high corneal deformity, presence of scars, or in cases with advanced disease progression, it will be necessary to perform a corneal transplant, either partial or complete.