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MattiSeppänen

Keratoconus (Conical Degeneration of the Cornea)

Keratoconus (conical degeneration or conical bulging of the cornea) is a disease in which the cornea becomes thinner and more fragile.
The pressure in the eye makes the thinned cornea bulge conically outward.
Keratoconus often begins at the age of 12-20 years and typically progresses for 10-15 years.
In most cases, progression will stop before any significant impairment of visual acuity.
Keratoconus may also result from laser-assisted refractive surgery (usually LASIK surgery). In that case, it is called corneal ectasia.
The patients should be treated and monitored by an ophthalmologist.

Reduced visual acuity
- Increased astigmatism and myopia
Simultaneous perception of several images of a single object
Impaired contrast sensitivity (difficulty distinguishing between various shades of black and white)
Thinning cornea
Visible protrusion of the corneal surface

Visual acuity
Inspection of the eye: is there conical bulging of the cornea visible on lateral inspection (often best detectable if the patient looks down)?
Examinations by an ophthalmologist include corneal tomography and biomicroscopy.