World Keratoconus Day 2023: Date, History, 5 Facts About Keratoconus

Contact lenses have a tendency to make contact with the cornea's irregular surface when the patient blinks, causing discomfort over time.

World Keratoconus Day 2023: Annually, World Keratoconus Day is observed on November 10. The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC Irvine is in charge of it, and the National Keratoconus Foundation supports it. Keratoconus, abbreviated ‘K.C.,’ is an eye disorder characterized by non-inflammatory injury to the cornea. A person with KC develops a corneal alteration in which the cornea eventually diminishes and thinning replaces its original round dome shape. The expansion of the cornea into a cone-like morphology leads to significant visual impairment. This day is devoted to promoting knowledge and disseminating resources regarding keratoconus.

World Keratoconus Day 2023: History

In 1748, German oculist Burchard Mauchart described keratoconus disease in his doctoral dissertation, where he initially cited a case of the condition. The disease was designated as “staphyloma diaphanum” in his thesis.

John Nottingham, a British physician, provided a precise description of the disease in 1854 by distinguishing it from other corneal diseases. Nottingham identified a multitude of symptoms that bore resemblance to the “conical cornea” instances that he had previously documented. The symptoms manifested by the patient comprised corneal thinning and an incapacity to provide appropriate corrective lenses for their vision.

In 1859, British surgeon William Bowman achieved the historic milestone of being the first individual to diagnose keratoconus using an ophthalmoscope. Additionally, Bowman provided the necessary correct angle on the mirror in order to observe the cone-shaped protuberance of the patient’s cornea. Bowman further endeavored to restore the patient’s vision by employing a fine hook to draw on the iris and stretch the pupil into a vertical slit resembling the eye of a cat. He asserted that the method had yielded some results, restoring the vision of an eighteen-year-old woman who previously had difficulty counting her digits at a distance of eight inches.

Johann Horner, a Swiss ophthalmologist, established the term “keratoconus” in the medical community with his 1869 dissertation entitled “On the treatment of keratoconus.” At that time, the treatment for the disease involved physically reshaping the conical shape of the cornea with chemicals. In 1936, following an extensive series of trials, Ramón Castroviejo successfully executed the initial treatment for the ailment by means of corneal transplantation.

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5 Facts About Keratoconus

It begins during adolescence.

It has been reported that biological alterations such as pregnancy or puberty can accelerate the onset of keratoconus.

It typically impacts both eyes.

Keratoconus is a disease that primarily impacts both eyes bilaterally.

Variations in vision

Due to vision changes, a patient with K.C. will require a new pair of spectacles or lenses every few months.

Contact lenses manufactured specifically for K.C.

Rigid gas permeable lenses (RGPs), which are customized rigid contact lenses, are utilized in response to the irregular surface of the cornea.

It may induce intolerance to contact lenses.

Contact lenses have a tendency to make contact with the cornea’s irregular surface when the patient blinks, causing discomfort over time.