Overview Glucocorticoids (GCs) regulate normal physiological processes such as carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism. However, GCs are most often used therapeutically because of their broad anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities (…
Clinical relevance of lipids in the tear film Lipids play a critical role in the health of the eyelids and the tear film. Abnormalities of these lipids are common in…
Clinical background Key symptoms and signs The symptoms of dry-eye disease are discussed in detail in Chapter 14 . A point that bears emphasis is that patient presentation is extremely…
The topic of ocular tear film breakup has long been the subject of considerable attention due to its implications both in contact lens design and in the study of corneal…
Clinical background The ocular surface comprises the entire and continuous mucosal outer epithelial lining of the eye lids, conjunctiva, and cornea. This chapter will focus upon ocular surface failure caused…
Allergic diseases of the eye Allergic eye disease is typically divided into four distinct types: allergic conjunctivitis, subdivided into seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis (SAC and PAC, respectively), atopic keratoconjunctivitis…
Overview The corneal stroma accounts for 90% of the corneal thickness. The corneal stroma is predominantly composed of water (78% water or 3.5 g H 2 O/g dry weight). Its dry…
Overview Corneal neovascularization (NV) and lymphangiogenesis are sight-threatening conditions that introduce vascular conditions into the normally avascular cornea ( Box 10.1 ). Corneal NV is induced by various stimuli and…
Clinical background Key symptoms and signs Keratoconus (KC) is a slowly progressive, noninflammatory condition in which there is central thinning of the cornea, changing it from dome-shaped to cone-shaped. KC…
Clinical background Corneal transplantation is the most common and successful form of human solid-tissue transplantation, which is widely practiced as a sight-restorative therapy for patients with congenital or acquired corneal…
