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Cloudy cornea - Overview

Alternative Names

Corneal opacification; Corneal edema

Definition of Cloudy cornea:

A cloudy cornea is a loss of transparency of the cornea.

Common Causes:

The cornea is normally a nearly invisible, clear structure covering the iris of the eye. Its two purposes are to transmit and focus the light entering the eye.

Causes of cloudy cornea include:

  • Chemical burns to the cornea
  • Herpetic keratoconjunctivitis (a form of conjunctivitis caused by herpes simplex)
  • Infectious diseases
  • Poor nutrition
  • River blindness (onchocerciasis -- an infection common in parts of Africa)
  • Several rare inherited diseases involving abnormal metabolism
  • Sjogren syndrome
  • Trachoma
  • Trauma
  • Vitamin A deficiency

Clouding leads to varying degrees of vision loss.

  • Reviewed last on: 8/3/2010
  • Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Crouch ER Jr, Crouch ER, Grant T. Ophthalmology. In: Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 53.

Sharma R, Brunette DD. Ophthalmology. In: Marx JA, ed. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 69.

Newlin AC, Wadia H, Sugar J. Corneal and external eye manifestations of systemic disease. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, eds. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby Elsevier; 2008:chap 4.25.

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