Fuchs Dystrophy

Fuchs' Corneal Dystrophy is an inherited condition involving the microscopic cells that make up the cornea. The disease reduced the numbers of cell in the cornea’s inner layer which causes the remaining cell to become abnormally thick or swollen.  Fuchs’ dystrophy is a progressive disease, over time, the changes to the cornea cells may interfere with vision.

Symptoms
In the early stages, Fuchs’ patients notice glare and light sensitivity. As the dystrophy progresses, the vision may seem blurred in the morning and sharper later in the day. This happens because the internal layers of the cornea tend to retain more moisture during sleep that evaporates when the eyes are open. As the dystrophy worsens, the vision becomes continuously blurred.

Treatment
Fuchs’ cannot be cured; however, with certain medications, blurred vision resulting from the corneal swelling can be controlled.

• Eye Drops to lessen the swelling of the cells in the cornea.
• Hold a hair dryer at arm’s length, blowing air into the face with the eyes closed. This technique draws moisture from the cornea, temporarily decreases swelling, and improves the vision.
• Corneal transplant is indicated when the vision deteriorates to the point that it impairs the patient’s ability to function normally. Ophthalmologists have excellent success rates performing corneal transplants, with over 40,000 procedures completed each year. Of all transplant surgeries, cornea are the most common and successful

As cornea specialists in DFW, Dallas-Fort Worth, Dr. Koreishi and Dr. Ple-plakon strive to provide the best cornea care, availability, and patient education.