Keratoglobus

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Classification according to ICD-10
H18.73 Keratoglobus
Q15.0 Keratoglobus, congenital, with glaucoma
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

Keratoglobus is a congenital spherical protrusion and thinning of the cornea (cornea of ​​the eye). It usually occurs on both sides and is different. In contrast to a keratoconus , in which only the central area of ​​the cornea is affected, with a keratoglobus peripheral areas of the cornea are also damaged. Water may build up in the anterior chamber . The cornea is too large ( megalocornea Ø> 13 mm up to 18 mm) and there is usually severe myopia . For a long time the keratoglobus was not differentiated from the megacornea and the hydrophthalmus . If the intraocular pressure is inherited increased, it comes in rare cases to partial giant growth.

Affected

Keratoglobus occurs sporadically and can be caused, for example, by a collagen disease. It can happen that a keratoconus develops into a keratoglobus in the later course of the disease. Keratoglobus patients are significantly less affected than by keratoconus. There is no gender-specific difference in its occurrence.

course

The disease begins in childhood; cracks in the cornea can lead to opacity of the cornea, as with keratoconus. Nearsightedness ( myopia ) and curvature of the cornea ( astigmatism ) lead to a deterioration in visual acuity ( visual acuity ). An acute keratoglobus can occur when the cornea on the endothelium and Descemet's membrane is injured. Like an acute keratoconus , an acute keratoglobus can heal spontaneously. Often, however, patients go to an ophthalmologist beforehand because of the serious visual impairment.

treatment

The refractive error cannot be compensated for with the help of glasses . But fitting a contact lens is also difficult because the entire surface is affected. With a keratoplasty (corneal transplant) it is much more difficult to transplant a suitable transplant. Lamellar keratoplasty should therefore be considered.

literature

  • Franz Grehn: Ophthalmology . Springer Verlag, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-540-25699-7 .
  • Wolfgang Behrens-Baumann, Hans Jürgen Gebauer, Ulrich Langenbeck: Blue Sclera Syndrome and Keratoglobus Ocular type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome . In: Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology . Springer Verlag, Berlin 1977, pp. 235-246, ISSN  0721-832X .
  • Karl Velhagen: The ophthalmologist . Volume 3, 2nd edition, 1975