Interstitial keratitis

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Eye

Keratitis interstitial

The underlying disease must be treated. Treatment of the cornea with corticosteroid drops may minimize scarring, and help preserve the clarity of the cornea.

If interstitial keratitis is diagnosed early and treated effectively, the corneal clarity and thus good vision will be preserved.

Once corneal clarity is lost, corneal transplantation is required. The recovery is long and arduous, and corneal transplantation is not as successful for interstitial keratitis as it is for most other corneal diseases. The presence of blood vessels in the diseased cornea brings white blood cells to the newly transplanted cornea and increases the risk of rejection.

All patients with interstitial keratitis will be closely followed by an ophthalmologist and a medical specialist with expertise in the underlying disease. Any worsening pain, increasing redness or decreasing vision should be evaluated immediately. This is particularly crucial for patients with corneal transplants.

Review Date: 09/01/2006
Reviewed By: Manju Subramanian, MD, Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery, Boston University Eye Associates, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.