[Clinical appearance of corneal lattice-type dystrophy (author's transl)]

Autosomal dominant hereditary lattice-type corneal dystrophy is a purely corneal hereditary metabolic disturbance, i.e. a localized amyloidosis. The author describes the findings in a family presenting with this disease. The condition progresses slowly; three stages may be distinguished, namely stage A, characterized by paracentrally arranged reticular lattice lines; stage B, characterized by paracentral lattice lines and patchy central subepithelial opacifications, and stage C, distinguished by paracentral lattice lines and diffuse white central subepithelial opacifications. Frequently, lattice-type corneal dystrophy is accompanied by symptoms of a pseudo-inflammation, e.g., photophobia, epiphora, "red eye" and pain due to recurrent corneal erosions. With regard to penetrating keratoplasty, changes of the donor cornea after a certain period of latency may be observed lattice-type corneal dystrophy as a result of which three types of opacifications may occur: 1) peripheral lattice lines and spots in the stroma; 2) diffuse whitish subepithelial opacifications, and 3) recurrent straited eruptions of the corneal epithelium.