Artificial Intelligence Application in Cornea and External Diseases

Corneal diseases are a leading cause of blindness worldwide, although their early detection remains challenging due to subtle clinical presentations. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have shown promising diagnostic performance for anterior segment disorders. This narrative review summarizes current applications of AI in the detection of corneal conditions-including keratoconus (KC), dry eye disease (DED), infectious keratitis (IK), pterygium, Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD), and corneal transplantation. Many AI models report high accuracy on test datasets, comparable to, and in some studies exceeding, that of junior ophthalmologists. In addition to detection, AI systems can automate image labeling and support education and patient home monitoring. These findings highlight the potential of AI to improve early management and standardized classification of corneal diseases, supporting clinical practice and patient self-care.