What is Keratoconus?
Keratoconus is an ocular condition in which the cornea weakens and acquires an irregular conical shape. This is accompanied by thinning of the central or paracentral cornea, resulting in corneal curvature imperfections (irregular astigmatism) that become impossible to correct with standard eyeglasses or conventional soft contact lenses.
Keratoconus usually affects both eyes, though often with significant asymmetry. Many patients only notice impaired vision once their stronger eye begins to change, by which time the condition may have already caused severe visual distortion in the fellow eye. Keratoconus typically emerges in the late teens or early twenties, affecting as many as 1 in 500 individuals.
Early stages frequently go undetected unless advanced corneal tomography scans of the eye’s front and back surfaces are performed. While mild cases might temporarily tolerate glasses, moderate-to-advanced keratoconus requires specialty optics to restore true clarity.
