Superficial reticular degeneration of Koby

Koby in 1927 described a progressive, superficial corneal degeneration in a middle-aged woman that led to a painless loss of vision. This condition was characterized by the appearance of a central, fine, white reticulum at the level of Bowman's layer. The epithelium was thickened and bedewed, giving a faint brownish opalescence and providing a striking contrast to the white reticulum. We evaluated a patient with this rare corneal degeneration, and present clinical findings as well as the results of a superficial corneal biopsy. The biopsy was evaluated by light and electron microscopy and provides the initial documentation of this entity as an atypical form of band keratopathy.