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Lattice Eye Disease

A corneal disease is an eye disease that stems from some damage or malfunction of the eye's cornea, which is the clear outer window of the eye that allows light to pass through and reach the retina, which sends the visual message to the brain. Lattice eye disease is one type of corneal disease.

  1. Lattice Dystrophy

    • Technically referred to as Lattice Dystrophy, this corneal disease concerns the stroma, which is one of the cornea's three layers. The stroma is the largest corneal layer, making up roughly 90 percent of the cornea, and gives the cornea its strength and elasticity.

    Features

    • The stroma's fibers are crucial for vision, as they are responsible for the light transparency of the cornea. Lattice dystrophy is when abnormal protein fibers exist throughout the stroma. These fibers are comma-shaped dots, lines and branches that make up the lattice effect.

    Effects

    • The lattice lines, made up of the abnormal fibers, become opaque and spread out over the stroma over time. As they grow together, the entire cornea becomes cloudy, and the vision ability is reduced.

    Epithelial Erosion

    • Epithelial erosion is the most significant consequence of lattice disease and occurs when the abnormal fibers accumulate under the epithelium, causing a disconnect between the stroma and epithelium. The epithelial erosion changes the corneal shape, which causes vision problems and sometimes nerve exposure, which is painful.

    Treatment

    • Treatment methods of lattice dystrophy vary with the mildness or severity of the symptoms, but include prescription eye drops, eye ointments, an eye patch to keep the eye closed as it heals or a corneal transplant if symptoms don't disappear. According to the National Eye Institute, the results of one lattice study showed that about 50 percent of the corneal transplant patients had a recurrence of lattice dystrophy between two and 26 years after the operation.

    Prevention

    • Regular visits to the ophthalmologist can address the beginning signs and symptoms of lattice disease early on. Corneal disease resulting from genetic factors, like dystrophies, however, cannot be prevented.

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