Corneal stromal dystrophies: a clinical pathologic study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pathology
• Genetics

Background:

• Corneal dystrophy involves bilateral, symmetric primary corneal disease without prior ocular inflammation.
• Classified by affected layer: superficial, stromal, or posterior.
• Incidence varies geographically.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the prevalence of stromal corneal dystrophies in corneal buttons from penetrating keratoplasty (PK).
• Correlate diagnoses with patient age and gender.

Main Methods:

• Retrieved 1,300 corneal button cases from PK (Jan 1996-May 2009).
• Utilized special stains (PAS, Masson trichrome, Congo red, alcian blue) for histopathological diagnosis.
• Correlated findings with patient age and gender.

Main Results:

• Stromal corneal dystrophies identified in 40 (3.1%) cases.
• Lattice corneal dystrophy was most prevalent (26 cases, 65%), predominantly in females (73.07%) at average age 59.3.
• Combined (8 cases), granular (5 cases), and macular (1 case) dystrophies were also identified with demographic data.

Conclusions:

• A systematic histopathological approach is essential for diagnosing stromal corneal dystrophies.
• Special stains are critical for accurate classification and diagnosis.