Keratoconus is a disease of the cornea which causes thinning of the central portion of cornea. As this progresses the normal eye pressure causes distortion of the natural round shape of cornea and an irregular cone like bulge develops which causes vision impairment.

The poor quality of vision occurs due to distortion of image caused due to distorted corneal surface. This gives rise to image doubling, ghost images, shadows or flared images.

It does not lead to blindness but it can result in disabling vision in advanced stages.

It can be difficult to diagnose Keratoconus in early stages as the symptoms can be vague and overlapping. With advancement of disease there is frequent changes in spectacle prescription.

It is usually diagnosed with Opthalmoscopy, Retinoscopy, Slit Lamp examination and Topography. Corneal topographer is the most sensitive instrument to detect early Keratoconus as it creates computer generated colored maps of cornea.

Some other signs of Keratoconus identifiable on eye examination are :

Thinning of the cornea from its normal thickness of 0.55mm

• Apical scarring
• Vogt’s striae
• Fleischer’s Ring

Most patients with early Keratoconus will not have any obvious early signs with respect to cornea or a significant corneal thinning. Corneal topography in such cases becomes absolutely essential because it maps the front and back surface of cornea on a 3D background which highlights subtle abnormalities also.

Secondly any progression over time can be comprehensively documented using corneal topography.

• Initial symptoms are often a blurred and distorted vision which is corrected with cylindrical correction glasses.
• Frequent change of spectacles is required as the disease progresses.
• There is increase in blurriness and with disease progression.
• Halos and light flaring is common at night making driving difficult.
• Double images are seen with the affected eye.

A YOUNG PERSONS DISEASE

Onset of Keratoconus is usually between age 8 -45 years. The disease becomes apparent in early Adolescence and progresses as age advances. The disease is most aggressive in this age group and hence needs to be detected and treated early as it can have a significant impact on patient socially and economically.

BOTH EYES AFFECTED

Keratoconus in majority of cases affects both the eyes, although the extent of involvement of each eye could vary.

KERATOCONUS, unlike many other diseases shows progression in early adolescence and then stabilizes as age approaches 40-50. Thus choosing the best treatment is not easy.

Keratoconus diagnosed at a later age tends to be less aggressive and also its treatment is less radical with good correction possible only with glasses or contact lenses.

Which modality of treatment is best for you will depend on your circumstances. Younger patients who are likely to show progression are likely to consider Crosslinking at an early stage whereas older patients with slow or no progression can often skip Crosslinking and get cured with spectacles or contact lenses.

However there is no known cure for Keratoconus or means of reversing damage done to cornea by Keratoconus.

Broadly treatment for Keratoconus can be divided into two steps. First is to halt progression by modalities such as Corneal Crosslinking, second is to correct vision using modalities such as Glasses, Contact Lenses, INTACS ring Segments, ICL etc.