Corneal Dystrophies are a group of genetic eye disorders in which material builds up inside the cornea. They’re caused by a build up of material in one of the five layers of the cornea. The material can turn the cornea opaque causing blurriness or a loss of vision. The symptoms depend upon the type of Corneal Dystrophy one may have. This may range from no symptoms at all to vision loss due to the build up of material within the cornea. You may also experience Corneal Erosion as a result of Corneal Dystrophies. Corneal Dystrophies can appear at any age and men and women are affected equally by most Corneal Dystrophies aside from Fuchs’ Dystrophy which affects women more.
There are more than many different types of Corneal Dystrophies, though they are generally put in three categories:
- Posterior Corneal Dystrophies affect the innermost layers of the cornea.
- Stromal Corneal Dystrophies which affect the middle of the cornea.
- Anterior / Superficial Corneal Dystrophies which affect the outer layers of the cornea.