Depiction of cavity formation in Terrien marginal degeneration by anterior segment optical coherence tomography

To evaluate detailed morphologic changes of Terrien marginal degeneration (TMD) using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT).

Two patients with TMD were examined by 1310-nm wavelength swept source optical coherence tomography, corneal topography, and slit-lamp microscopy.

AS-OCT depicted corneal thinning with intact epithelial layer in the peripheral cornea of both patients. Moreover, AS-OCT images of both patients clearly showed cavity formation surrounded and enclosed by intact epithelial and endothelial layers in the thinned area.

We demonstrate here the existence of cavity formation in the peripheral cornea with TMD. This observation suggests a possibility that corneal thinning in TMD is associated with cavity formation in the corneal stroma. AS-OCT is useful for the observation of detailed morphologic changes of diseased cornea.