Can microcornea be treated?
NOV 24, 2014
Question:
My daughter was born with microcornea. One eye is normal and one eye has a small cornea. Her eyes are not crossed but is there any way to normalize the cornea in the affected eye?
Answer:
Microcornea has no cure. It results from a failure of the cornea and parts of the eye to properly develop in the womb. If both corneas are cloudy, a cornea transplant may be considered but the surgery and the period following surgery can be challenging. It sounds like your daughter has one normal and clear cornea so most cornea surgeons avoid a cornea transplant in this situation because the risk of complications and amblyopia (also called lazy eye) are extremely high when just one eye is involved. A pediatric ophthalmologist and cornea specialist should work together to decide on the proper course of action and assess the risk of amblyopia and other eye problems that can occur with microcornea. Patching therapy may be an option to strengthen the eye with microcornea.