Immune mechanisms of dry-eye disease
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…
Disruption of tear film and blink dynamics
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…
Ocular surface restoration
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…
Ocular allergy
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…
Corneal edema
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…
Corneal angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis
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…
Keratoconus
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…
Corneal graft rejection
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…
Infectious keratitis
Infectious keratitis is characterized by corneal inflammation and defects caused by replicating bacteria, fungi, or protozoa. These infections can progress rapidly with devastating consequences, including corneal scarring and loss of…
Genetics and mechanisms of hereditary corneal dystrophies
Overview Over the past century, a number of corneal diseases have been documented with detailed family histories suggesting autosomal-dominant, autosomal-recessive, and X-linked recessive hereditary patterns. Modern genetic techniques such as…
