Kerataconus is an ocular pathology in which the cornea acquires a conical shape secondary to a thinning of one of its layers: the stroma due to an alteration of its collagen fibers. Vision is affected, in addition to the presence of photophobia and night vision problems with increased presence of halos and glare, by a change in the patient’s dioptric correction, especially astigmatism.
Diagnosis of kerataconus
We will always suspect keratoconus when we observe in a young patient changes in his optical correction with a greater presence of an astigmatism difficult to correct and with a limitation, in spite of prescribing his best prescription, of his visual acuity. It is frequent that we find behind this pathology allergic patients with a tendency to rub and scratch their eyes assiduously. All these suspicions must be confirmed by the most useful and reliable test for these cases: elevation topography.
The progression is progressive from the onset of the condition, usually at puberty, until the third or fourth decade of life.
Controlling keratoconus
More than curing, we should talk about controlling the pathology. Until recently, the only therapeutic approach was corneal transplantation. Today, we can act from a double perspective:
1. Trying to slow down the progression of the condition, which is more effective the earlier it is performed, by increasing corneal rigidity, using the well-known cross linking or collagen cross-linking procedure.
2. Improving the deformed corneal architecture through the implantation of intrastromal rings