Corneal opacity is scarring of the cornea. This is the clear front layer of the eye.
This problem makes it hard for light to pass through the cornea to the retina. The cornea may also look white or clouded over.
Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:
Ocular HerpesCopyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. |
Problems may be:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done.
Your eyes will be tested. This can be done with:
Treatments depend on the cause of the scarring and how severe it is. Medicines may be used, such as antibiotics, steroids, or both. They may be given as eye drops or taken by mouth.
Some people may need to have the scarring removed. This can be done with laser surgery. People with severe symptoms may need a cornea transplant.
The risk of this problem may be lowered by:
American Optometric Association
http://www.aoa.org
Eye Health—American Academy of Ophthalmology
http://www.eyesmart.org
Canadian Ophthalmological Society
http://www.cos-sco.ca
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca
Congenital Corneal Opacities. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Available at: https://www.aao.org/topic-detail/congenital-corneal-opacities-europe. Accessed March 23, 2021.
Corneal conditions. National Eye Institute website. Available at: https://nei.nih.gov/health/cornealdisease. Accessed March 23, 2021.
Trachoma. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/trachoma. Accessed March 23, 2021.
Williams K, Irani Y, et al. Novel therapeutic approaches for corneal disease. Discov Med. 2013 May;15(84):291-299. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed March 23, 2021.
Last reviewed December 2020 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Daniel A. Ostrovsky, MD
Last Updated: 03/23/2021