Early treatment of granular dystrophy (Groenouw type I)

Eight patients with dystrophia corneae (Groenouw type I) were studied. Fifteen eyes in 8 patients were treated with epithelial abrasion, and 5 eyes in 3 patients obtained improvement of visual acuity. In the remaining 10 eyes, the elements were localized so deep in the stroma that they were not altered by the abrasion. Five patients had been treated by corneal grafting. Evident recurrence along the suture lines was observed in 3 eyes and suspected in 2 eyes. It may be concluded that Groenouw type I changes are affected by epithelial abrasion. Early stages obtain visual improvement. Repeated therapeutic epithelial abrasions would seem to be a treatment possibility for patients with incipient changes.