In this new episode of “Symptoms”, Doctor Ygal Boujnah, ophthalmologist in Lyon, shares the story of a 25-year-old patient, faced with unexplained loss of vision. In three years, the young man consulted several specialists, before finding by chance the ophthalmologist Ygal Boujnah. After increased research, the latter detected keratoconus.
This is a corneal deformation (the transparent covering of the iris and pupil of the eye) which gradually thins, loses its normal spherical shape and takes on an irregular cone shape. Indeed, the word keratoconus, of Greek origin, means “conical cornea”. Keratoconus often presents with decreased vision, eye irritation, headaches, increased sensitivity to light, and frequent changes to glasses.
These symptoms usually appear at puberty. “If a patient is young, the cornea being more fragile, will tend to deform more. But after 40 years, keratoconus evolves very little, and at 50 not at all,” explains Dr. Boujnah.
What are the exams?
To detect keratoconus, several examinations are necessary. “We start with a measurement of visual acuity and eye tension,” explains Dr. Boujnah. If these examinations reveal nothing, corneal topography is recommended. Topography makes it possible to measure the shape of the cornea and detect subtle deformations.
The cornea is often neglected because the majority of Eye diseases focus on the retina or optic nerve. “In current practice, we do a keratometry, but it only looks at the central 3 millimeters of the cornea, while keratoconus can manifest itself beyond,” specifies the Lyon ophthalmologist.
Once keratoconus is diagnosed, several treatments are possible. “The first treatment is to stop rubbing your eyes.”he advises. If preventive measures are not enough, lenses can be the second option. They press on the cornea, thanks to the water from the tears, which are placed between the eye and the lens. With this pressure, the cornea returns to a normal shape and vision improves. In some cases,surgical interventions such as cross-linking or the installation of intracorneal rings can also be considered.
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