Corneal Dystrophy: A Ready Reckoner for Postgraduates
Corneal dystrophies are classically defined as a group of inherited disorders of the cornea which is bilateral, symmetric, slowly progressive, and not related to any environmental or systemic factors.1,2 Most of the corneal dystrophies begin in the early decades of life and progress gradually. The effect of these changes in some of the dystrophies may not be clinically apparent till the later years. The underlying basis of all corneal dystrophies are genetic mutations some of which have been mapped, while others are yet to be identified.1-3 Most of these mutations result in the transcription of aberrant proteins. These proteins are deposited in various corneal layers and give rise to the characteristic clinical features. The pace of deposition also determines the natural history of the corneal dystrophy. Corneal dystrophies were first reported by Groenouw in his article published in 1890.1 He described one patient with granular corneal dystrophy and another patient with macular corneal
Dr. Samrat Chatterjee