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Keratoconus
How is it treated?
The first line of treatment is usually with rigid contact lenses although some people with early Keratoconus may be able to wear spectacles or soft contact lenses. However good vision may be difficult to maintain at times as the condition progresses and contact lens tolerance varies.
There is a small risk of infection when wearing contact lenses and the risk becomes much greater if the lenses are not kept clean. It is, therefore, important to strictly follow the hygiene instructions given when the lenses are fitted. Contact lenses do not, unfortunately, slow down the rate of progression of the cone, but they do give good vision during that period which could not otherwise be achieved. Drops, ointment, dietary changes and eye exercises also don't help but the condition does eventually stabilise, although it may take many years before that happens.
In about ten to twenty per cent of Keratoconus patients the cornea may become extremely steep, thin and irregular or the vision cannot be improved sufficiently with contact lenses. The cornea may then need to be replaced surgically with a corneal transplant or graft. Visual recovery after a transplant takes a long time - sometimes as long as eighteen months - to settle down and there is a strong possibility that the eye will still need to be fitted with a contact lens afterwards in order to see properly. Surgery is therefore not a shortcut to perfect vision nor a way of avoiding contact lens wear.
There is also a risk of the transplant rejecting afterwards although over ninety per cent of corneal transplants that are done for Keratoconus are successful. If affected individuals feel that this is a possibility they should discuss this with their contact lens practitioner or attend their hospital's Accident and Emergency (Casualty) Department.
What are the causes?
| Inheritance patterns and prenatal diagnosis 
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