Cloudy cornea

Definition

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

Alternative Names

Corneal opacification; Corneal scarring; Corneal edema

Causes

The cornea makes up the front wall of the eye. It is normally clear. It helps focus the light entering the eye.

Causes of cloudy cornea include:

• Inflammation
• Sensitivity to non-infectious bacteria or toxins
• Infection
• Keratitis
• Trachoma
• River blindness
• Corneal ulcers
• Swelling (edema)
• Acute glaucoma
• Birth injury
• Fuchs dystrophy
• Dryness of the eye due to Sjogren syndrome, vitamin A deficiency, or LASIK eye surgery
• Dystrophy (inherited metabolic disease)
• Keratoconus
• Injury to the eye, including chemical burns and welding injury
• Tumors or growths on the eye
• Pterygium
• Bowen disease

Clouding may affect all or part of the cornea. It leads to different amounts of vision loss. You may not have any symptoms in the early stages.

Home Care

Consult your health care provider. There is no appropriate home care.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Contact your provider if:

• The outer surface of the eye appears cloudy.
• You have trouble with your vision.

Note: You will need to see an ophthalmologist for vision or eye problems. However, your primary provider may also be involved if the problem could be due to a whole-body (systemic) disease.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

The provider will examine your eyes and ask about your medical history. The two main questions will be if your vision is affected and if you have seen a spot on the front of your eye.

Other questions may include:

• When did you first notice this?
• Does it affect both eyes?
• Do you have trouble with your vision?
• Is it constant or intermittent?
• Do you wear contact lenses?
• Is there any history of injury to the eye?
• Has there been any discomfort? If so, is there anything that helps?

Tests may include:

• Biopsy of lid tissue
• Computer mapping of the cornea (corneal topography)
• Schirmer's test for eye dryness
• Special photographs to measure the cells of the cornea
• Standard eye exam
• Ultrasound to measure corneal thickness

Images

References

Cioffi GA, Liebmann JM. Diseases of the visual system. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 395.

Guluma K, Lee JE. Ophthalmology. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 61.

Kataguiri P, Kenyon KR, Batta P, Wadia HP, Sugar J. Corneal and external eye manifestations of systemic disease. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, eds. Ophthalmology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 4.25.

Lisch W, Weiss JS. Early and late clinical landmarks of corneal dystrophies. Exp Eye Res. 2020;198:108139. PMID: 32726603 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32726603/.

Patel SS, Goldstein DA. Episcleritis and scleritis. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, eds. Ophthalmology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 4.11.